American plaice
North Atlantic flatfish found on soft seabeds
The American plaice is a right-eyed flounder living in the North Atlantic. It inhabits soft bottoms from shallow shelves to deep waters. Fishers in Europe often catch it as bycatch, while stocks in Canada face overfishing concerns and management disputes.
- Grows to a maximum length of 70 cm
- Lives on soft bottoms up to 3,000 m deep
- Considered overfished in the Northwest Atlantic
- Host to seal lungworm parasite
What it is
This fish is a right-eyed flounder belonging to the family Pleuronectidae. It grows up to 70 centimetres in length. As a flatfish, it lives on the sea floor with both eyes on one side of its body. It is known for inhabiting soft seabed environments across the North Atlantic Ocean.
Where it lives
In the northwest Atlantic, the species ranges from Greenland and Labrador down to Rhode Island. The northeast population extends from Murmansk to the English Channel, including Ireland and Iceland. It rarely enters the Baltic Sea. These fish dwell on soft bottoms at depths between 10 and 3,000 metres, though they are most common between 90 and 250 metres.
How it lives
The American plaice serves as an intermediate host for the nematode parasite Otostrongylus circumlitis. This lungworm primarily affects seals under one year of age. The fish itself remains on the seabed, adapted to life on soft substrates in cold Atlantic waters.
Breeding and life cycle
Spawning activity peaks during April and May in the Gulf of Maine. This seasonal reproduction cycle supports the population in that specific region of the northwest Atlantic.
Fish and people
European fishers do not actively target this species, but it frequently appears as bycatch. In Canada, the stock remains under a moratorium established in 1993. A 1997 study classified the Canadian population as endangered due to overfishing pressures.
Status and threats
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization considers the species overfished with no signs of recovery. Canadian officials dispute this assessment, stating the extinction risk is below 20 per cent over the next 80 years. Despite this disagreement, the fishing moratorium remains in place.
Questions people ask about American plaice
Where does the American plaice live?
It inhabits the North Atlantic, ranging from Greenland to Rhode Island in the west and Murmansk to the English Channel in the east. It lives on soft seabeds at depths from 10 to 3,000 metres.
Is the American plaice endangered?
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization states it is overfished with no recovery signs. A 1997 study called it endangered in Canada, though officials there dispute the severity of the extinction risk.
What eats the American plaice?
It acts as an intermediate host for the nematode parasite Otostrongylus circumlitis. This parasite is a lungworm that primarily affects young seals under one year of age.
Good reading and sources
- American plaice on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "American plaice", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.
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