Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

American Soles (Achiridae)

American sole silhouette.

A small family limited to marine waters of the Western Hemisphere. American soles, like other “flatfishes,” have a very flattened body. The skull is asymmetrical, with eyes on same side of head. American soles are “right-facing” flatfishes (eyes are on the right side). They have long, many-rayed dorsal and anal fins that extend over much of the body length. Pectoral fins are rudimentary or absent. One native estuarine/marine species can be found in fresh waters of Connecticut.

Click on the species name below to learn more.

Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus) - Native

Hogchoker.

 

A marine flounder species, the winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus, family Pleuronectidae), often inhabits estuaries and occasionally enters fresh water of coastal streams. Also a right-facing flatfish, the winter flounder can be distinguished from a hogchoker by the presence of pectoral fins and a dorsal fin that does not reach to the tip of the snout.

 

Text and images adapted from Jacobs, R. P., O'Donnell, E. B., and Connecticut DEEP. (2009). A Pictorial Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Connecticut. Hartford, CT. Available for purchase at the DEEP Store.