It is a demersal fish that lives on soft, silty or muddy bottoms at depths of up to 1,050 metres (3,440 ft).

Its upper surface is dark in colour, olive brown to reddish grey-brown, and may have dusky blotches; its underside is white with translucent areas.

[2] The flathead sole's diet consists of zoobenthos invertebrates such as clams, worms and brittle stars, as well as fish and squid.

[2] The U.S. lands the majority of the world's catch of flathead sole and manages three fisheries - one in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, one in the Gulf of Alaska and one off the West Coast.

[2] Flathead sole is not currently overfished, and biomass is estimated to be above the level required to support the maximum sustainable yield.