Pacific sanddab
Citharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus), also known as the soft flounder, mottle sanddab, or megrim, is a fish species in the order Pleuronectiformes, or flatfish. It is by far the most common sanddab, and it shares its habitat with the longfin sanddab (C. xanthostigma) and the speckled sanddab (C. stigmaeus). The adult Pacific sanddab is bilaterally asymmetrical and 'left-eyed', meaning both eyes are located on the left side of its body.
It is a medium-sized flatfish, with a light brown color mottled brown or black on its eyed side, occasionally with white or orange spots. On its blind side, it is a solid white or light brown. It has large eyes and scales, and a deep rounded body.
Wikipedia contributors, Pacific sanddab; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:06:20.806491+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Citharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854)
- Name authority
- (Girard, 1854)
- Common name
- Pacific sanddab
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Pleuronectiformes
- Family
- Paralichthyidae
- Genus
- Citharichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderPleuronectiformes
- suborderPleuronectoidei
- familyParalichthyidae Regan, 1910
- genusCitharichthys Bleeker, 1862
- speciesCitharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Citharichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Stream flounderCitharichthys arctifrons Goode, 1880 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys darwini Victor & Wellington, 2013 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Veracruz whiffCitharichthys abbotti Dawson, 1969 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys amblybregmatus Gutherz & Blackman, 1970 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| spined whiffCitharichthys dinoceros Goode & Bean, 1886 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys gnathus Hoshino & Amaoka, 1999 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| mimic sanddabCitharichthys gordae Beebe & Tee-Van, 1938 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| spotted whiffCitharichthys macrops Dresel, 1885 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| five-rayed sanddabCitharichthys mariajorisae van der Heiden & Mussot-Pérez, 1995 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| speckled sanddabCitharichthys stigmaeus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| voodoo whiffCitharichthys uhleri Jordan, 1889 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Psettichthys sordidus Girard, 1854 Girard, 1854 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=275694 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:VM6Y. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.