Common dab facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common dab |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
 |
|
| Common dab range. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The common dab (Limanda limanda) is a type of edible flatfish. It's a fish that lives near the bottom of shallow seas, mostly around Northern Europe. You can find it in places like the North Sea. Common dabs like sandy bottoms and can live in water up to about 100 meters (330 feet) deep. They can grow up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) long and weigh about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). However, most common dabs are usually around 20 centimeters (8 inches) long.
Contents
What is a Common Dab?
The word "dab" for this fish first appeared in the late 1500s. The common dab was first given its scientific name, Pleuronectes limanda, by a famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Later, its name was changed to Limanda limanda, which is what we call it today.
How to Spot a Common Dab
Common dabs look a lot like other flatfish, such as the plaice and the flounder. Like them, a common dab usually has both of its eyes on the right side of its body.
Here are some ways to tell them apart:
- Color: The top side of a common dab is usually light brown. It has scattered darker spots and speckles.
- No Orange Spots: Unlike a plaice, it does not have bright orange spots.
- Body: Their bodies are quite see-through. This helps tell them apart from flounders.
- Fins: Their side fins (pectoral fins) might be orange. The fins along their back and belly form a gentle curve around their body.
- Lateral Line: They have a special line on their side, called a lateral line. It has a clear semi-circular curve right above their pectoral fin.
- Scales: Their scales feel a bit rough on the edges. They don't have any big bony bumps on their body.
- Size: Most common dabs are between 25 to 40 centimeters (10 to 16 inches) long.
What Do Common Dabs Eat?
Common dabs are bottom-dwellers, meaning they find their food on the seafloor. Their diet includes many small creatures that live in the sand or mud.
They like to eat:
- Marine worms
- Small molluscs (like tiny snails or clams)
- Sand eels
- Small crustaceans (like tiny shrimp or crabs)
- Echinoderms (like small starfish or sea urchins)
- Even tiny pieces of other fish
Where Do Common Dabs Live?
The common dab lives on the bottom of coastal waters. You can find them in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Their home range stretches from the Bay of Biscay all the way up to Iceland and the White Sea. They are very common in the North Sea and also live in the western part of the Baltic Sea.
Common Dabs and Fishing
For a long time, common dabs were not a very popular fish for people to eat. Fishermen often caught them by accident while trying to catch other fish. These accidentally caught fish are called "by-catch."
However, things are changing. The number of other popular food fish, like cod and haddock, has been going down. Because of this, common dabs are becoming more important for commercial fishing. More and more fishing boats are now trying to catch dabs, especially in the North Sea. Some famous chefs have even encouraged people to eat more dab. This helps take some pressure off other fish species that are being caught too much.
