Plaice are flatfish that live on the sea-bed. In a matter of minutes, they can change their body color, from pale and sandy, to dark or blotchy, to match their surroundings as they drift over the sea-bed in search of food. They can even adjust their coloring to become checkered, if a chess board is placed under them! Only the upper part of the fish, visible to enemies, is colored. The underside is white.