The Pacific sanddab (''Citharichthys sordidus'') is a species of

flatfish A flatfish is a member of the Ray-finned fish, ray-finned demersal fish order (biology), order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the ...

. It is by far the most common

sanddab ''Citharichthys'' is a genus of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family, Paralichthyidae. They have both eyes on the left sides of their heads. They are native to the oceans around the Americas, with a single species, ''C. stampflii'' off the ...

, and it shares its habitat with the

longfin sanddab ''Citharichthys xanthostigma'', the longfin sanddab, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, in subtropical waters ranging from Monterey Bay, California in the north, ...

(''C. xanthostigma'') and the

speckled sanddab ''Citharichthys stigmaeus'', the speckled sanddab, is a species of flounder in the genus '' Citharichthys''. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Alaska in the north to Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California' ...

(''C. stigmaeus''). It is a medium-sized flatfish, with a light brown color mottled brown or black, occasionally with white or orange spots. The Pacific sanddab is endemic to the northern Pacific Ocean, from the Sea of Japan to the coast of California. They are most commonly found at depths of , though the young inhabit shallower waters, occasionally moving into tide pools. It is an opportunistic predator, feeding on a variety of crustaceans, as well as smaller fish,

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

, and

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

es. It is a popular game fish in northern California, found on menus in the Monterey Bay and San Francisco area, though more difficult to find in southern California restaurants and markets. Usually sold frozen, some regard it as a delicacy. It is also popular in restaurants and stores along the coasts of Oregon and Washington, where it can be found more readily.

References

* Paralichthyidae Fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area Western North American coastal fauna Fish described in 1854 {{Pleuronectiformes-stub