Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

The Atlantic halibut is among the largest bony fish in the world and a member of the Pleuronectidae family of right-eyed flounder. The flounder has a unique type of maturation from larvae to adult stage, in which one eye migrates to the opposite side of the head.

The Atlantic halibut is a highly prized table fish, with white, tender flesh, but it is such a deep-dwelling fish that it is seldom deliberately pursued by anglers. It may be caught incidentally by anglers fishing for other deep-ocean dwellers. It has historically been an extremely important market species, but it has been greatly overfished by commercial interests, who primarily catch it by bottom longlining.

California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus)

The California halibut is a large flatfish and a member of the Bothidae family, or left-eyed flounder. It is the largest and most abundant flatfish within its range, although it is greatly smaller than the more northerly Pacific halibut. It is an important commercial quarry and sportfish, one that is often deliberately sought by anglers and valued for its excellent firm, white flesh.

Identification

The body of the California halibut is oblong and compressed. The head is small and the mouth large. Although a member of the left-eyed flounder family, about 40 percent of California halibut have their eyes on the right side. The color is dark brown to black on the eyed side and white on the blind side. The gill rakers are slender and numerous, totaling about 29 on the first arch. Its numerous teeth, its very large mouth, and a high arch in the middle of the “top” side above the pectoral fin make it easily distinguishable from other flatfish.

Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis)

The Pacific halibut is the largest flatfish in Pacific waters and one of the world’s largest bony fish. It is a member of the family Pleuronectidae, or right-eyed flounder. Since the 1980s, Pacific halibut populations have prospered, providing excellent fishing from Oregon to Alaska.

Identification

The halibut usually is dextral; that is, both eyes are on the right side of the head. Its coloration varies from olive to dark brown or black with lighter, irregular blotches. More elongate than other flatfish, the average width of the Pacific halibut’s body is about one-third its length. The mouth is large, extending to the lower eye. The small, smooth scales are well buried in the skin, and the lateral line has a pronounced arch above the pectoral fin. The tail is crescent-shaped, longer at the tips than in the middle, which distinguishes it from most other flatfish.