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FISH GUIDE · Sea

Megrim: identification, habitat and fishing guide

Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis

Megrim is a flatfish with both eyes on the left side, associated with soft bottoms on the continental shelf and slope.

Catalogue names : Megrim. Forms and names may vary between habitats.

Editorial review : · This species guide is not permission to fish. Read the precautions below and check the current rules for your location before targeting a species. Some species or populations are protected.

Geographical distribution

Found in the Northeast Atlantic from Iceland to Cape Bojador, and in the western Mediterranean according to FishBase’s distribution account.

  • Documented presence : Northeast Atlantic
  • Documented presence : Western Mediterranean

Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.

Distribution sources

Identification

An elongated oval body, large closely set eyes on the left side and large oblique mouth with a projecting lower jaw. Do not identify the species from flatness alone.

Habitat

Deep soft bottoms of the continental shelf and slope in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Diet

Mainly fish, but also squid and crustaceans.

Behaviour

A demersal species living close to soft bottoms. Its presence in trawl catches does not describe a recreational fishing protocol.

Indicative biological size

20–30 cm, the common size in the FAO guide; a descriptive indication.

Fishing context and precautions

Terry Jackson describes a rig for Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis below an anti-tangle boom, with trailing hooks and small attractor spoons, baited with mackerel strips or sandeel. He mainly reports incidental catches on Irish sand and gravel banks; drift catches reported by IFI confirm this context without guaranteeing local results.

For an indicative adaptation in France, have the person in charge adjust drift and sinker so that the bait stays close to the seabed without snagging the rig. Prepare unhooking before lowering and control retrieval. The account’s dimensions and hook count become neither universal settings nor an exemption from French rules. This documented presentation does not promise survival after a deep-water catch.

A distinctive feature

The scales are rough on the eyed side and smooth on the blind side.

Sources and review

Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.

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