Cape Scaldfish
Arnoglossus capensis
Scaldfish
Arnoglossus laterna
About
The scaldfish is a small, well-camouflaged flatfish that lies on mixed or muddy seabeds across European and African waters. It usually reaches about 12 cm, though some grow to 25 cm.
Also known as: scaldfish, Mediterranean scaldfish, scaldback, Arnoglossus laterna
- Length
- 12 cm · max 25 cm
- Depth
- 10–50 m
- Temperature
- 7–20 °C
How to tell it apart
Several small, left-eyed flatfish look alike lying on the seabed. This species' lateral line, the faint sensory line along its side, curves sharply where it crosses over the pectoral fin - a useful check on a close look.
Appearance
This is a small, slender, oval flatfish, almost translucent and shaped rather like a sole. Both eyes sit on the left side of a small head, and the mouth is moderately sized and set at an angle. It is pale brownish grey with dark spots scattered over the body and fins, including a dusky spot on the pelvic fin on its eyed side. Its scales are thin, fragile and few.
Habitat
Lives on mixed or muddy bottoms on the upper continental shelf, from about 10 to 200 metres deep, though most often between 10 and 50 metres. Found from Norway south through the eastern Atlantic to Angola, and also in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless.
Did you know?
Male scaldfish look noticeably different from females: they grow a few unusually long fin rays that females never develop.
Log it in Into the Blue
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