Geographical distribution
Documented presence includes: eastern Atlantic Ocean ; Mediterranean Sea ; Black Sea. The source treats the Gulf of Guinea record as uncertain.
- Documented presence : eastern Atlantic Ocean
- Documented presence : Mediterranean Sea
- Documented presence : Black Sea
Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.
Distribution sources
- FishBase — Pegusa lascaris, Distribution · accessed on
Identification
The front nostril on the blind side forms a broad rosette; the eyed-side pectoral fin bears a pale-edged black mark.
The blind-side nostril forms a rosette; the eyed-side pectoral has a black mark edged with yellow according to the Xunta de Galicia.
MarLIN describes equal-sized pectoral fins on both sides and a low membrane linking dorsal and anal fins to the tail fin. Compare these visible features with the rosette-shaped nostril without prolonging handling.
Habitat
Sand, mud or gravel; FishBase reports a usual depth range of 20–50 m.
Diet
Small crustaceans, bivalves and polychaete worms.
Behaviour
A demersal species: it lives in association with the seabed.
The Xunta de Galicia describes a mainly solitary life, buried in sand.
Indicative biological size
About 30 cm total length according to FishBase.
Fishing context and precautions
Chriskkfishing presents sand sole alongside common sole and Senegalese sole before describing a collective surfcasting method: a marine-worm bait on a snood rig, left on soft bottom while watching for subtle bites. This is an indicative adaptation of an angler’s account, not a rig exclusive to Pegusa lascaris.
Guerreiro, Veiga and Erzini identify Pegusa lascaris among beach-competition catches in the Algarve. This study confirms recreational capture of the taxon without assigning a bait to each fish. Check the rosette-shaped nostril and prepare wet support for the body; do not infer a legal size from common sole.
A distinctive feature
The rosette-shaped nostril on the eyeless side is a useful identification feature.
A study in the Ártabro Gulf describes batch spawning, with oocytes at different stages. Its local May-to-September season is not a calendar valid for every coast.
Sources and review
Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.
- FishBase — Pegusa lascaris · accessed on
- DORIS / FFESSM — Sole pole, fiche proposée · accessed on
- Service Public — Pêche de loisir en mer · accessed on
- Normandie Fraîcheur Mer — Sole blonde / pole, données Ifremer · accessed on
- Xunta de Galicia / PescadeRías — Lenguado de arena (Pegusa lascaris), critères de reconnaissance · accessed on
- British Sea Fishing — Additional Rare and Unusual Fish, Sand Sole : prises à la ligne et confusions signalées · accessed on
- Marine Biological Association / MarLIN — Pegusa lascaris, morphologie externe · accessed on
- García-Fernández et al. (2025), IEO-CSIC / Scientia Marina — Life-history traits and reproductive strategies of Pegusa lascaris and Buglossidium luteum in the Ártabro Gulf · accessed on
- Chriskkfishing — Pêche de la sole en Surfcasting, méthode collective incluant la sole-pole · accessed on
- Guerreiro, Veiga et Erzini (2011) — Catches of the sport fishing competitions along the Algarve coast, table 1 ; texte déposé par Pedro Veiga · accessed on
- NOAA Fisheries — Catch and Release Fishing Best Practices, précautions générales · accessed on
- Guerreiro, Veiga et Erzini (2011) — Catches of the sport fishing competitions along the Algarve coast, PDF p.165–166, table 1 · accessed on