Sole
lat. Solea vulgaris
Sole
Sole (lat.Solea) belongs to the flatfish family Soleidae together with flounder and turbot. Locals here know it under names ”švoja”, ”zalistak”or ”platuša”. It can grow up to 66 cm in length and it weights around 1 kg. Its average hunting weight is from 0.20 – 0.25 kg. It lives on muddy and sandy bottoms along Adriatic but mostly they are to be found along the west coast of Istria. It lives in shoals but they are scattered. It’s active at night whereas during the day it burries itself in the sediment. It is recognizable by its wavy movements. It is caught by mesh pashalere.
Sole’s body is asymmetrical, oval and greyish- brown colored and covered with multicolored spots that serve as the mechanism of adaptation to the color of the bottom. Its underside is very fair while the upper side is dark and hides one eye on each side. Its meat has few bones and is very tasty what makes it one of the most popular fishes. It is mostly fried and grilled, but it’s well done breaded as well. Before preparation it can be filleted by peeling the skin off and removing the spine and fins.
