Hook-nosed Sole

Heteromycteris hartzfeldii

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Soleidae
Genus: Heteromycteris
Species: Heteromycteris hartzfeldii

The hook-nosed sole (Heteromycteris hartzfeldii) is a small, mottled sole with a hooked snout. Its sandy colours and fine spots make it blend perfectly with the bottom.

It grows to about 10 cm and feeds on small worms and crustaceans in the sediment. It often lies partly buried.

In the Philippines it is found on shallow sandy and silty bottoms, a typical muck-diving find.

Photo: Dan Schofield, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist