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Species Directory

American Plaice

Overview Management Resources

American Plaice

Hippoglossoides platessoides

American plaice illustration. Credit: Jack Hornady.

Quick Facts

Lifespan
More than 20 years
Region
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Plaice_nefsc.jpg

About The Species

American plaice is a species of flounder that is found in relatively deep water from southern Labrador on the eastern coast of Canada to Rhode Island. 

Status

According to the 2017 operational assessment, American plaice is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

Appearance

  • American plaice is a right-eyed species of flounder.
  • Plaice have a large mouth, rounded tail, and nearly straight lateral line running lengthwise along their body.
  • The upper side (eyed side) of adult plaice is typically reddish-brown in color, while the underside is white.

Biology

  • American plaice can live for more than 20 years.
  • Plaice spawn and fertilize their eggs near the ocean bottom.
  • Fertilized eggs float and ultimately hatch near the ocean’s surface.
  • When plaice first hatch, their eyes are symmetrical, with an eye on each side of their head. As the fish grows, it flattens out and the left eye moves over to the right side of its head. After this metamorphosis, the juvenile settles to the ocean bottom.
  • Larval plaice mostly eat plankton and adults primarily feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates, such as brittle stars, sand dollars, polychaete worms, shrimps, and bivalve mollusks.

Where They Live

  • American plaice are distributed along the continental shelves from southern Labrador to Rhode Island in relatively deep water.
  • In the Northwest Atlantic, plaice are found along the Atlantic Coast of North America throughout the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.

Management

  • We manage a single stock of American plaice in U.S. waters.
  • NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council manage the fishery.
  • Plaice, along with other groundfish in New England waters, is managed under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which includes:
    • Permitting requirements for commercial vessels.
    • Separate management measures for recreational vessels.
    • Time/Area closures to protect spawning fish and habitat.
    • Minimum fish sizes to prevent harvest of juvenile fish.
    • Annual catch limits, based on best available science.
    • An optional sector (catch share) program can be used for cod and other groundfish species. The sector program allows fishermen to form harvesting cooperatives and work together to decide when, where, and how they harvest fish.

Featured News

ntap-survey-twin-trawls.jpg
Feature Story

2019 Net Spread Study Targets Flatfish, Reveals Subtle Differences

New England/Mid-Atlantic
View More News

Related Species

winter_flounder.png

Winter Flounder

summer_flounder.png

Summer Flounder

Windowpane flounder illustration. Credit: Jack Hornady.

Windowpane Flounder

Recreational Fishing Regulations

Commercial Fishing Regulations

Subsistence Fishing Regulations

Management Overview

American plaice is managed under the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan along with 12 other species of groundfish. Collectively, these 13 species are referred to as the Northeast multispecies complex. 

Learn more about the Northeast multispecies complex and its management

 


More Information

  • Northeast Multispecies Complex Group Species Page
  • Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
  • Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Bulletins
  • Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Permits

Science Overview

Documents

Document

More Information about American Plaice (Citations)

These citations were used to generate the information found on the American plaice species page.

New England/Mid-Atlantic
More Documents
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