Common Flatfish

• Commonly sold sole fish in the United States include yellowtail flounder, fluke flounder, blackback flounder, dab flounder, grey sole and Atlantic halibut on the East Coast, according to The North End Fish Market in Boston. On the West Coast, you'll find petrale sole, dover sole, flathead sole, starry flounder and Pacific halibut Dover sole, which is considered especially valuable and are more expensive.
  
  

Physical Description

• Sole fish are elongated, flat fish because they primarily live on the ocean floor. The two eyes are set on the right side of the head to watch for predators. Usually, the top side of the fish is dark in color and the bottom side is light in order to camouflage it. Caught white flounder and sole weigh on average between one and five lbs. Halibut is also considered a flatfish, but they commonly weigh between 10 and 80 pounds. Halibut weighing 200 pounds or more are not uncommon.
  
  

Habitat

• Sole fish can live in either shallow or deep water. Fluke flounder, for example, live off the shallow saltwater coast of Texas, while blackback flounder live 100 to 300 feet under the surface off the northeastern coast of the U.S. in the Georges Bank.
  
  

Diet

• Sole fish diet depends on the age of the fish. Young flatfish subsist on shellfish and crustaceans, like shrimp, clam and scallops. Older flatfish eat shellfish, crustaceans and live fish.
  
  

Cooking Qualities

• Flatfish are known for their mild, delicate flavor. The top side of the sole fish is often thicker with a darker meat than the bottom side, but both sides yield a thin fillet. Most bottom-side fillets are only a half-inch thick and so cook very quickly to a creamy or pearly white color. Common cooking methods include pan frying, pan sauteing and baking. Halibut are also suitable for grilling or boiling, according to The North End Fish Market.
  
  

Catching Methods

• Most sole fish are caught by trawling nets on or near the bottom of the ocean or shallows in which they reside. Other methods include hook and line, gigging and long line, according to The North End Fish Market.