Halibut, Atlantic Hippoglossus hippoglossus

Linnaeus, 1758

PLEURONECTIDAE FAMILY
Also called common halibut, giant halibut, righteye flounder

Inhabits cold and boreal waters of the North Atlantic, including the Barents Sea, Iceland, and Greenland. It is also found in very deep, cold waters as far south as Virginia on the American side and southwest Ireland on the European side. This species does not occur in near freezing polar waters as many people believe, but is replaced there by the Greenland halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides.

The Atlantic halibut is among the largest bony fishes in the sea. The largest known specimen was taken off Sweden and weighed 720 lb (326.6 kg). Halibut weighing 350 lb (158.76 kg) are about 7 8 ft (2 2.5 m) long and 4 ft (1.2 m) wide.

The lateral line, which has a scale count of about 160, arches strongly above the pectoral fin. The teeth are equally well developed in both sides of the jaw. This species is usually pearly white and featureless on the blind side. Some specimens, nicknamed “cherry bellies”, have a reddish tint on the blind side.

They make extensive migrations and interchanges occur between stocks in North America and Iceland, and among stocks in Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and the North Sea.

Atlantic halibut feed in midwater as well as on the bottom. The best fishing method is drift fishing on the bottom with heavy tackle, but they can be caught on fly.

The halibut is a strong fighter and a valuable food fish. The flesh is of good quality and texture

Halibut, Pacific Hippoglossus stenolepis

Schmidt, 1904

PLEURONECTIDAE FAMILY
Also called northern halibut, right halibut, alabato

Occurs in cold waters of the North Pacific from the Bering Sea south to about Santa Rosa Island, California, on the American side and to northern Japan (including the Okhotsk Sea) on the Asian side. The Pacific halibut is highly migratory. Tagging operations have shown that some adult specimens travel 2,000 miles or more, though others appear to remain near the spawning grounds. In northern areas large halibut can be found in relatively shallow waters, but in the warmer southern portions of their range they may go as deep as 600 fathoms or more.

This is the largest Pacific flatfish and very much resembles the Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus. The teeth are strong and equally well developed on both sides of the jaws. Coloration is uniformly dark brown or gray on the top side (often with small, lighter spots), and white and relatively featureless on the blind side.

Females grow to weights of over 470 lb (213 kg), live to a maximum age of 35 45 years and may attain a length of 9 ft (3 m). By comparison, males probably do not exceed 40 lb (18 kg) or 55 in (140 cm), and their maximum life expectancy appears to be about 25 years. The females are more numerous than the males and grow faster, except during the early stages of development.

The young feed primarily on crustaceans. Adults are piscivorous but will consume large crustaceans, squid, and other mollusks. Stomach contents indicate that large halibut feed in midwater as well as near the bottom. They can be caught while drift fishing on the bottom with heavy tackle, using baits like cod, herring, squid, mackerel or smaller flatfishes