This deep dive into common sole (Solea solea) welfare covers the latest research on behavioral needs, stress physiology, and welfare-positive slaughter methods.
Common sole welfare science has advanced significantly through research at French and Dutch aquaculture institutes. Studies reveal that sole show pronounced individual variation in stress responses — some individuals consistently show lower cortisol responses to handling, while others show extreme responses. This individual variation suggests that group-level welfare interventions may have differential effects across individuals, and that individual-level monitoring may eventually be appropriate for high-value sole production.
Feeding behavior research reveals that sole require time and quiet conditions to locate food through chemoreception. Standard intensive feeding approaches — rapidly distributing pellets in brightly lit tanks — do not match sole sensory ecology. Providing feed in dim conditions with adequate time for olfactory detection significantly improves feeding rates and reduces the hunger-related stress of inefficient foraging in commercially intensive conditions.