The Freshwater Sole pictured here is a freshwater member of a family that occurs worldwide. Most sole fish species of live in the ocean but a few smaller ones live in fresh or brackish water. These are an interesting species that will do quite well in an aquarium if given the correct environment. The intriguing anatomy of sole fish is that they are flattened, or compressed laterally, and they swim on their side on the bottom of their environment. One of their eyes migrates to the side which points up, leaving the other side or 'bottom' side blind, making for a very unique looking fish.

Sole fish are also referred to as flounder fish, and because of their flat and somewhat rounded 'tongue-like' appearance, they are also called Tonguefish. Beyond these designations, the additional names of Pan Sole and Hogchoker Sole are used for the three species that are occasionally imported. The species discussed here Brachirus panoides, which comes from Southeast Asia, and Brachirus pan, imported from Bangladesh and India, are both referred to as Pan Soles. The third species Trinectes maculatus, which originates in North America, is called the Hogchoker Sole.