It is native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, where it lives on stony bottoms down to depths of about 1,400 metres (4,600 ft).

The lemon sole is a right-eyed flatfish with a small head and mouth and smooth, slimy skin.

The upper surface is reddish brown in colour, mottled with pink and orange and flecks of yellow and green, and a prominent orange patch is typically found behind the pectoral fin, around which the lateral line also curves.

Some other authors suggest that "limande" may also come from the French word limon (which means "silt").

[5][6] The Marine Conservation Society rates lemon sole at 3 or 4 on its sustainability scale (where 1 is best and 5 is worst) depending on how and where it is caught.