# Common sole (*Solea solea*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-sole  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

The common sole (Solea solea) is a bony fish in the family Soleidae, within the order Pleuronectiformes. It is also called Sole, Slip, Tounge, True Soul and Dover sole. In its global assessment, the common sole is listed on the IUCN Red List as Data Deficient (DD).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 70 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 26 years |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | marine |
| Egg incubation | 5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Age at maturity | 3 years – 5 years |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Data Deficient (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 1 country. Introduced: China. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Pleuronectiformes
- family: Soleidae
- genus: Solea
- species: *Solea solea* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Pleuronectes solea*, *Solea vulgaris*, *Solea vulgaris typica*, *Solea vulgaris vulgaris*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the common sole?

The common sole is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Soleidae in the order Pleuronectiformes.

### What is the scientific name of the common sole?

The scientific name of the common sole is Solea solea, in the genus Solea.

### Who named the common sole and when?

The scientific name authority for Solea solea is (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the common sole endangered?

The common sole is listed as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment.

### What other names does the common sole have?

Other English names for the common sole are Sole, Slip, Tounge, True Soul and Dover sole.

### What family does the common sole belong to?

The common sole belongs to the family Soleidae, in the suborder Pleuronectoidei and the class Teleostei.

### Is the common sole an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the common sole as introduced in 1 country: China, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Common sole (Solea solea). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-sole