Lepeophtheirus pectoralis Lepeophtheirus pectoralis Lepeophtheirus pectoralis is a species of parasitic copepod. It is a parasite of flatfish, the most frequent hosts being the European flounder ("Platichthys flesus"), the plaice ("Pleuronectes platessa"), and the dab ("Limanda limanda"). It feeds on the mucus, skin and blood of the fish, with oviferous females being found in the pectoral and pelvic fins of the host, while immature individuals and males are found in the rest of the body. Its life cycle consists of five phases and ten stages. The first two stages are free swimming nauplius I and II, while the third stage is the
Common sole Common sole The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole ("Solea solea") is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea where it often semi-immerses itself in the substrate. The upper side is greyish-brown while the underside is white. It grows to a maximum length of about . The species is prized as a food fish, being caught mostly by trawling on the seabed. The small eyes are close to each other on the right side of the body. This gives the fish the