American plaice

American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) are salt water fish that live in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Like most flatfish, they live on the bottom of the continental shelf, up to 700 metres deep, but spend most of the time at 90 to 200 meters. Their geographical range is from the coast of Labrador, south to the coast of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The most are found off the eastern tip of Newfoundland. American plaice feed on sand dollars, brittle stars, crustaceans, polychaetes, and fish such as capelin and launce.

Like many flatfish, American plaice are sometimes said to be a flounder or dab, even though both are names for other fish species.

The U.K.-based Marine Conservation Society rates American plaice as 5, the most threatened category of over-harvested animals.

Related pages
Alaska plaice
European Plaice

 References 
American plaice information (Northeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.))
American plaice information (National Marine Fisheries Service (Canada))
FishBase article
Ecological status of American plaice  (Marine Conservation Society)

Category:Flatfish