Scientific name: PLEURONECTES PLATESSA
Market name: Plaice
The whole Plaice is a flatfish and are easily identified by its distinctive red or orange spots, smooth, brown skin, and bony ridge behind the eyes ranging in size from 25-40cm. It feeds on polychaetes, crustaceans and bivalves.
The Plaice prefers shell-grit or sandy bottoms and can normally be found near mussel beds, they may also inhabit depths up to approximately 200 m, but usually found at 10-50 m, with younger fish closer inshore.
Plaice are determinate spawners in which fecundity is determined before the onset of spawning. Females mature, i.e. are able to spawn, at ages from 3 to 7 years old. However, in the North Sea, most females mature at 3 years. Spawning being from December to May. Each female releases eggs in batches every 3 to 5 days for approximately 1 month. The eggs hatch after approximately two weeks and drift passively in the plankton
It is as pronounced a flavour as Lemon Sole.