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Common name - Sole, Lemon
Scientific name - Microstomus kitt
Average rating
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Visit Fishonline for the full range of options available for this species.
Consumer Information
Lemon sole is a widely distributed flatfish in northern European waters and belongs to the same family as halibut and plaice. Fisheries for this species are largely unregulated and there is little information available about its status, although it appears to be a fairly common fish. In Cornish waters local byelaws prohibit the landing of fish below 25 cm, the size at which it is mature, thereby providing some chance of them spawning. The fish is best dusted in flour, fried in butter and eaten on the bone. Lemon sole is also sold filleted and chilled or frozen in breadcrumbs. It doesn't deserve to be made into goujons! And it doesn't taste of lemon. Avoid eating Lemon sole below 25cm and during it's breeding season, April to August.
Summary
Lemon sole is generally unmanaged in EU waters and there is no minimum landing size. The exceptions for this are in areas IV and IIa where there is a mixed precautionary TAC, and in Cornwall where a Minimum Landing Size of 25cm is enforced by Cornish IFCA byelaw. Stocks in Icelandic waters are subject to quota restrictions. There is no formal assessment of the North Sea stock but surveys indicate stable adundance at a high level although the trend in landings in the long-term is in decline. Fishing mortality of lemon sole in Iceland is too high and so the Marine Research Institute (MRI), Iceland, recommends that effort be reduced. Choose seine caught fish where possible, as this method of capture causes less damage to the seabed. Avoid eating immature fish (below 25cm) and during its breeding period, April-August.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Visit Fishonline, the website for the seafood industry, for more detailed information about this species.