Sole/Flounder seafood items

Ocean Wise’s recommendations are based on 4 criteria. An Ocean Wise recommended species is:

  1. Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures
  2. Well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research
  3. Harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species
  4. Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.

To learn more please refer to our Ocean Wise Recommendation Policy.

Flounder/Sole
Status Variety Latin name Wild/Farmed Harvest method Region
Not Recommended Arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Flathead sole Hippoglossoides elassodon Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Rex sole Errex zachirus, Glyptocephalus zachirus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Rock sole Lepidopsetta bilineata Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Sand sole Psettichthys melanostictus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma Wild Gillnet, Jig, Pound net Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina
Not Recommended Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Windowpane flounder Scophthalmus aquosus Wild Bottom trawl Georges Bank, Gulf of Maine, Southern New England, US Mid-Atlantic
Not Recommended Winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus Wild Bottom gillnet, Bottom trawl Atlantic US, Gulf of Maine
Not Recommended Witch flounder, grey sole Glyptocephalus cynoglossus Wild Bottom trawl Atlantic US
Not Recommended Yellowfin sole Limanda aspera, Pleuronectes asper Wild Bottom trawl, Butterfly trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea Wild Bottom gillnet, Bottom trawl Atlantic US
Sole/Flounder
Status Variety Latin name Wild/Farmed Harvest method Region
Ocean Wise Greenland turbot; Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides Wild Bottom longline Alaska
Not Recommended Arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended English sole, Petrale sole, Dover sole, sanddab Parophrys vetula, Eopsetta jordani, Microstomus pacificus, Citharichthys sordidus; various Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Flathead sole Hippoglossoides elassodon Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Rex sole Errex zachirus, Glyptocephalus zachirus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Rock sole Lepidopsetta bilineata Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Sand sole Psettichthys melanostictus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma Wild Gillnet, Jig, Pound net Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina
Not Recommended Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus Wild Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Summer flounder, Lemon sole Paralichthys dentatus, Pseudopleuronectes americanus; various Wild Bottom trawl Atlantic US
Not Recommended Windowpane flounder Scophthalmus aquosus Wild Bottom trawl Georges Bank, Gulf of Maine, Southern New England, US Mid-Atlantic
Not Recommended Winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus Wild Bottom gillnet, Bottom trawl Atlantic US, Gulf of Maine
Not Recommended Witch flounder, grey sole Glyptocephalus cynoglossus Wild Bottom trawl Atlantic US
Not Recommended Yellowfin sole Limanda aspera, Pleuronectes asper Wild Bottom trawl, Butterfly trawl Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Not Recommended Yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea Wild Bottom gillnet, Bottom trawl Atlantic US