Naked Sole
Gymnachirus nudus
Also known as: Flabby Sole
- Flabby Sole
Overview
Found singly, partially buried in or on soft bottoms of the reef. This highly compressed fish buries itself beneath the sand, exposing only its eye and tubular nostril. Moves extremely fast when disturbed and is difficult to detect when it resettles. There is a rare black phase where the bars are barely visible.
Flatfish, Soles and Flounders are placed in their families by location of their eyes. Their are both left eye and right eye dominant families.
Flatfish bury themselves in sand to hide from predators and use their eyes as periscopes as these can rotate 180 degrees.
During pelagic larval stage these fish are not flat but become so as they grow, their bodies flatten, and one eye migrates across the head next to the other eye.
How to identify
- Pattern
- black edgestripes
- Body shape
- flatfrilly edge
- Behaviour
- buries in sandhead showingsolitary
Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Western Atlantic
Found singly, partially buried in or on soft bottoms of the reef.
Adult photos 0
Discussion
No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.
Deep dive
More in the family
Pleuronectiformes

Blacktip Sole
Soleichthys heterorhinos
1 photo

California Flounder
Paralichthys californicus
2 photos
Carpet Sole
Liachirus melanospilos
0 photos
Cocos Island Flounder
Asterorhombus cocosensis
0 photos

Finless Sole
Pardachirus marmoratus
4 photos

Flowery Flounder
Bothus mancus
7 photos

Frill-mouth Sole
Brachirus aspilos
5 photos

Gulf Flounder
Paralichthys albigutta
1 photo

Gulf-of-Mexico Fringed Sole
Gymnachirus texae
4 photos

Hook-nosed Sole
Heteromycteris hartzfeldii
4 photos

Intermediate Flounder
Asterorhombus intermedius
1 photo

Largescale Flounder
Engyprosopon grandisquama
3 photos