|PISCES : PLEURONECTIFORMES : Scophthalmidae||BONY FISH|
Description: The Norwegian topknot is a left-eyed flatfish that is oval in shape and more slender than other topknot species. It is also the smallest of the topknots, reaching a maximum length of 12cm. The background colour is usually brownish with irregular darker and also pink and orange blotches.
Habitat: Like Zeugopterus punctatus this species lives amongst rocks in the shallow subtidal from 5m down to approximately 50m.
Distribution: This species is mostly found on the Atlantic coasts of Britain and Ireland however it has also been recorded from the Calf of Man in the Irish Sea.
Similar Species: This species is sometimes confused with the lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) however the latter is right-eyed. It is also similar to the topknot (Zeugopterus punctatus) and Bloch's topknot (Zeugopterus regius) but can be distinguished by its more slender appearance, smoother snout and relatively large scales.
Key Identification Features:
Distribution Map from BioMar data for Ireland - Google Earth map: download this placemark (not got Google Earth installed?)
Distribution Map from NBN: Grid map (fast) : Interactive map (slow, requires login to view records) : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.
|Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Phrynorhombus norvegicus (Gunther, 1862). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. |
http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=ZG8540 Accessed on 2015-7-28
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