Common dab
📖 Overview
Adults live mainly on sandy bottoms, from a few meters to about 100 m. Feed mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. Batch spawner . Marketed fresh, dried or salted, smoked and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled. microwaved and baked .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
: short and / or deep.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Common dab is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
The common dab's diet consists of zoobenthos organisms such as marine worms, molluscs, sand eels, amphipods, crustaceans, echinoderms and smaller fishes.
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous ; depth range 20 - 150 m . Temperate; 72°N - 43°N, 25°W - 45°E Northeast Atlantic: Bay of Biscay to Iceland and Norway; Barents and White seas; also Baltic Sea.
🌿 Ecology
crustaceans and small fishes
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Common dab is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 15.7 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 319 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Common dab has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (lean white fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liopsetta limanda | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Pleuronectes limanda | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Pleuronectes limandula | Bonnaterre | 1788 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 54 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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