Soleidae
by J.-C. Quéro, M. Desoutter and F. Lagardère
Flatfishes with the eyes on the right side, the body oval in outline and strongly compressed. Snout rounded, mouth small, inferior, more or less arched; eyes small, both on right side (except in rare reversed individuals); teeth small, hardly visible, sometimes absent. Preoperculum covered by skin and scales, its hind margin not free. No spines in fins; caudal fin distinct, free from dorsal and anal fins or sometimes more or less united to them. Lateral line present on eyed side, straight on midbody, arched, wavy, bifurcated or indistinct on head; scales ctenoid, with intercanalicular striae on anterior part, the striae either strongly curved and shorter than width of intercanalicular zone (Dicologoglossa type, Fig. 1) or only a little sinuous and longer than width of intercanalicular zone (Solea type, Fig. 2). Benthic in temperate and tropical seas, mainly on muddy bottoms from close to shore down to 1,300 m. Feeding mainly on bottom-living invertebrates (crustaceans, molluscs, marine worms, etc.).
Genera 31; in Clofnam area 7 (world revision badly needed; we retain here the classification of Clofnam).
Recent revisions: Torchio (1973), Quéro (1981).