Citharus linguatula. In: Sartor P., Mannini A., Carlucci R., Massaro E., Queirolo S., Sabatini A., Scarcella G., Simoni R. (eds), Sintesi delle conoscenze di biologia, ecologia e pesca delle specie ittiche dei mari italiani / Synthesis of the knowledge on biology, ecology and fishery of the halieutic resources of the Italian seas.

This species has an oval body and a pointed head with a slightly concave profile above the eye. Eyes are located on the left side of the body and the mouth is curved downward, with a prominent jaw and tip facing down. The upper edge of the preopercule is free and clearly visible. Vomerine teeth are strong, sharp and unequal: biseriate on the front side of each jaw and uniseriate on sides. The species is common throughout the Mediterranean and is preferably found on soft bottoms (with a strong muddy component) down to 300-400 m depths. C. linguatula is a predator; it preferably feeds on small teleosts, decapod crustaceans, mysids, whilst polychaetes and molluscs are secondary preys. The spotted flounder reaches a maximum size of 25 cm TL in the Italian seas and 30 cm TL in its range of distribution . Generally, the most represented sizes from trawl fishing catches are between 10 and 20 cm TL. Currently, the knowledge of period and size at first maturity of the species is scarce; catches of mature females were reported in March in the French Mediterranean or in autumn in the Gulf of Naples and in November-December in the central Adriatic. This species is a by catch of trawl fishery on the continental shelf. There is no assessment on the state of exploitation of this species, and no minimum size.