Isopsetta isolepis (Lockington, 1880)
Butter sole
Butter sole,  IhĂ©mek'we
Isopsetta isolepis
photo by Archipelago Marine Research Ltd.

Family:  Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders), subfamily: Pleuronectinae
Max. size:  55 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 11 years
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 20 - 425 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: Bristol Bay in the southeastern Bering Sea and Amchitka Island (Aleutian Islands) to Ventura, California, USA.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 78-92; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 58-69; Vertebrae: 39-42. Dorsal origin above eye. Caudal rounded. Pectoral small, bluntly pointed.
Biology:  Common in shallow water on soft, silty bottom. Moves into shallow water in summer and to deeper water in winter (Ref. 6885). Spawning adults exhibit north-south migrations (Ref. 6885). Feeds on chaetopod marine worms, young herring, shrimps, and sand dollars (Ref. 6885). A tasty food fish, sometimes marketed (Ref. 2850). Also used for mink food (Ref. 2850).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 13 August 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Recorded from the Pacific coast (Ref. 6885). Mostly utilized as mink feed but small part of the catch is filleted (Ref. 6885). Also Ref. 2850, 4925.


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