Yellowfin sole
A flatfish of the northern Pacific sandy bottoms.
The yellowfin sole is a demersal flatfish found in the temperate northern Pacific. It lives on sandy seabeds and supports significant commercial trawl fisheries. Stocks in the Bering Sea are currently stable after past overfishing.
- Lives on sandy bottoms up to 700 metres deep
- Females produce up to 3 million eggs per spawn
- Bering Sea biomass is currently stable and high
- Maximum recorded lifespan is 26 years
- Diet consists mainly of worms and mollusks
What it is
This flatfish has a deep body with rough scales on both sides. Its upper surface is olive or brown with dark mottling. The dorsal and anal fins show a yellowish tint with faint dark bars. A small mouth and closely set eyes sit behind a slight snout. Males reach a maximum length of 49 cm, though most adults measure around 33.5 cm. The heaviest recorded specimen weighed 1.7 kg. It belongs to the family Pleuronectidae and lives on the sea floor.
Where it lives
Its native range covers temperate waters of the northern Pacific. Populations extend from Korea and the Sea of Japan north to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. The eastern limit reaches Barkley Sound on the Canadian west coast. These fish prefer soft, sandy bottoms. They inhabit depths up to 700 metres but are most common around 91 metres. This demersal lifestyle keeps them close to the seabed throughout their lives.
How it lives
Yellowfin sole occupy a moderately high position in the food chain. They feed mainly on zoobenthic organisms living in the sediment. Their diet includes polychaetes, amphipods, hydroids, worms, mollusks, and brittle stars. Larger predators hunt them, including sculpin, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, and arrowtooth flounder. This species can live for up to 26 years in the wild. They remain active on the sandy substrate where they find their prey.
Breeding and life cycle
Females become reproductively mature at about 30 cm in length. This size usually corresponds to an age of 10.5 years. Spawning occurs after migration to shallower waters during spring and summer. The species has high reproductive potential. A single female can produce between one and three million eggs. This large output helps sustain population numbers despite heavy predation and fishing pressure.
Fish and people
Commercial fleets target this species using demersal trawls. Catches averaged 94,000 tons annually from 1998 to 2010. The 2008 harvest reached 148,894 tons, the highest in eleven years. Bering Sea biomass is now stable and above target levels after recovery from high fishing rates in the 1960s and 1970s. Two fisheries held MSC certification as of 2021. Landings are restricted by limits on crab and halibut bycatch. Off Sakhalin Island, overexploitation and temperature cycles caused population drops, leading to new regulations in 2014.
Status and threats
The stock is not currently considered overfished in the Bering Sea. Biomass estimates remain high and stable. However, historical overfishing occurred in the mid-twentieth century. Population fluctuations near Sakhalin Island were worsened by overexploitation in the early 2000s. Regulatory changes were implemented in 2014 to address these declines. Bycatch limits for other species also help control the total catch volume.
Questions people ask about Yellowfin sole
Where does the yellowfin sole live?
It inhabits temperate waters of the northern Pacific. Its range extends from Korea and Japan to the Bering Sea and Canada. It lives on soft, sandy seabeds at depths up to 700 metres.
Is the yellowfin sole population healthy?
Yes, in the Bering Sea the biomass is high and stable. It recovered from high fishing rates in the 1960s and 1970s. It is not currently considered overfished in that region.
What do yellowfin sole eat?
They feed on zoobenthic organisms found in the sediment. Their diet includes polychaetes, amphipods, hydroids, worms, mollusks, and brittle stars. They occupy a moderately high trophic level.
Good reading and sources
- Yellowfin sole on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Yellowfin sole", 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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