Pacific sanddab

The Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus), also known as the soft flounder, mottle sanddab, or megrim, is a fish species in the order Pleuronectiformes, or flatfish. It is by far the most common sanddab, and it shares its habitat with the longfin sanddab (C. xanthostigma) and the speckled sanddab (C. stigmaeus). The adult Pacific sanddab is bilaterally asymmetrical and ‘left-eyed’, meaning both eyes are located on the left side of its body.

It is a medium-sized flatfish, with a light brown color mottled brown or black on its eyed side, occasionally with white or orange spots. On its blind side, it is a solid white or light brown. It has large eyes and scales, and a deep rounded body.