Like most flatfish, lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) has a rather unusual look: a right-eyed fish with a small head and mouth, and smooth, slimy skin with a pearlescent shine. They are usually shades of reddish brown, with a tinge of pink and orange, pink and green flecks and a white underside. The lemon sole has an orange patch behind its pectoral fin. The fish is widely found throughout the British Isles and northern Europe, feeding on marine worms, prawns, crabs and shellfish. This demersal species prefers a mixed seabed, with small stones and sand. They tend to keep to coastal areas and live at depths of 20-220m. Lemon sole travel to shallower waters to spawn during spring and migrate further out as they mature. The larvae start out similar to those of round fish, but eventually develop their flatfish traits. The breeding season is from April to August and fully grown lemon sole, at four to five years, reach up to a maximum of 60cm in length. Fish

A fish in the flounder family.