Geography

• Dover sole, according to the NOAA Fisheries Service, reside at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska from the Bering Sea and western Aleutian Islands to southern Baja California. Most of the Dover sole harvest occurs off the California and Oregon coasts.

Significance

• NOAA reports that, in 2008, nearly 25 million pounds of Dover sole were caught by U.S. commercial fishing operations, at a value of over $9 million.

Nutrition

• A 100-gram serving of Dover sole contains 18.84 grams of protein, based on NOAA data. The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that a three-ounce portion of sole has about 0.48 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. This is one of the highest concentrations of omega-3, which is thought to prevent heart disease, in fish.

Mercury

• While high in omega-3s, sole is low in mercury. A three-ounce serving contains 0.05 parts per million of mercury, which is on the low end among all fish, according to the AHA.

Fun Fact

• NOAA states that female Dover sole can live up to 53 years, and males up to 58 years. Compare this to Atlantic salmon, who have a life span of just four to 10 years.