European Plaice

European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) is a right-eyed flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae, one of the most familiar and widely distributed flatfish in European waters. It is easily recognized by the bright orange spots on its upper side, a feature that distinguishes it from most similar species. Plaice range across the northeastern Atlantic from the Barents Sea and Iceland south to the Mediterranean, including the North Sea, Baltic, and waters around the British Isles. The species has long supported major European commercial fisheries and is closely monitored, with stock status varying by region from healthy to reduced depending on fishing pressure and management measures.

European plaice are among the easiest European flatfish to identify due to their distinctive markings.

• Body: diamond to oval shaped, moderately flattened
• Eyes: both on the right side
• Coloration: smooth brown to olive-brown upper side with scattered bright orange or red circular spots
• Skin: smooth, without the bony tubercles seen in flounder or turbot
• Underside: plain white
• Size: typically 30-50 cm The combination of smooth skin and vivid orange spotting reliably separates plaice from European flounder, which has similar coloration but rows of bony tubercles and duller or absent spotting.

European plaice inhabit sandy and muddy seabeds of coastal and continental shelf waters, typically from very shallow depths down to around 200 m, though most are found shallower than 100 m. Their range spans the northeastern Atlantic from the Barents Sea and Iceland south through the North Sea, English Channel, and Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea. Plaice favor cooler temperate waters and soft sediments that allow partial burial for camouflage. Juveniles commonly use shallow, sheltered coastal nursery areas and estuaries before moving to deeper offshore grounds as they mature.

European plaice are bottom-dwelling predators that forage over sand and mud for buried mollusks, polychaete worms, and small crustaceans, often detected by touch and smell rather than sight. They spend much of their time partially buried in sediment, relying on camouflage from their spotted coloration to avoid predators. Plaice are not strongly schooling as adults, though juveniles may aggregate in nursery habitats. Spawning occurs in winter and early spring in offshore waters, with females producing very large numbers of small pelagic eggs that drift with currents before larvae settle and metamorphose in coastal nursery grounds. They play an important role as both predator of benthic invertebrates and prey for larger fish.