Plaice

Imagine a fish that's super flat, like a pancake! That's a plaice. It has two eyes on one side of its head, usually the right side.

This helps it see when it's lying on the sandy or muddy bottom of the sea. Plaice are a type of flatfish, and they are very good at blending in with their surroundings. They can change their colors to match the sand or pebbles, making them almost invisible to predators and yummy snacks!

Plaice are ocean explorers! They live in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. You can find them swimming near the coasts of Europe, from Spain all the way up to Norway, and even in the waters around Iceland. They like to hang out on the seabed, which is the very bottom of the ocean. Sometimes they are found quite deep, but they also like to be closer to shore where the water is shallower.

Plaice are busy eaters! They are carnivores, which means they love to eat other small sea creatures. Their favorite snacks include little worms that live in the sand, tiny shrimp, and small shellfish like mussels.

They use their mouths to slurp up their food from the seafloor. Because they can hide so well, they can sneak up on their prey without being noticed. It's like a game of hide-and-seek for their dinner!

One amazing thing about plaice is their camouflage. They can change the color and pattern on their skin to look exactly like the seafloor. If they are on sand, they look sandy.

If they are on pebbles, they look like pebbles! This helps them stay safe from bigger fish that might want to eat them. They also have a special way of swimming, using their fins to glide along the bottom.

They are truly masters of disguise in the ocean world.