E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Psettichthys melanostictus Girard, 1854
Pacific Sand Sole; Sand Sole
Family: Pleuronectidae

Source: Distribution of Psettichthys melanostictus as compiled by Aquamaps

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Species Information

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 72 - 88; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 53 - 66; Vertebrae: 37 - 39. Dorsal origin above point in front of eye. Caudal rounded. Pectorals small.

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Biology

Species Biology

Inhabits sandy bottoms. Feeds on fishes, worms, crustaceans and mollusks (Ref. 6885). Environment: demersal; marine; depth range 1 - 325 m (Ref. 6793) Climate: temperate; 66°N - 34°N

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: Bering Sea coast of Alaska, near the Aleutian Islands (Ref. 27436) to Redondo Beach, southern California, USA.

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	SNR	No Status	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer
University of Alaska Museum

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

fishbase

General References

FishBase References
Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-06-23 12:23:49 PM]

Disclaimer: The information contained in an E-Fauna BC atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited (with permission) in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Fauna BC also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Fauna BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.