Fiorello LaGuardia with a 300-pound halibut at the Fulton Fish Market.

A halibut is a type of flatfish from the family of the righteye flounders (Pleuronectidae). This name is derived from Dutch heilbot. Halibut live in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans and are highly regarded food fish. Families Suborder Psettodoidei     Psettodidae Suborder Pleuronectoidei     Citharidae     Scophthalmidae (turbots)     Bothidae (lefteye flounders)     Pleuronectidae (righteye flounders)     Paralichthyidae (large-tooth flounders)     Achiropsettidae (southern flounders)     Samaridae Suborder Soleoidei     Soleidae (soles)     Achiridae (American soles)     Cynoglossidae (tonguefishes) The flatfish are an order (Pleuronectiformes) of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a... USN redirects here. ... Two submarines of the United States Navy have been named USS Halibut, for the halibut, a large species of flatfish found on both sides of the Atlantic. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1856x2422, 367 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Halibut ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1856x2422, 367 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Halibut ... LaGuardia redirects here. ... The Markets Interior The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in New York, United States. ... Families Suborder Psettodoidei     Psettodidae Suborder Pleuronectoidei     Citharidae     Scophthalmidae (turbots)     Bothidae (lefteye flounders)     Pleuronectidae (righteye flounders)     Paralichthyidae (large-tooth flounders)     Achiropsettidae (southern flounders)     Samaridae Suborder Soleoidei     Soleidae (soles)     Achiridae (American soles)     Cynoglossidae (tonguefishes) The flatfish are an order (Pleuronectiformes) of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a... Flounder or flukes are flatfish that live in ocean waters ie. ... Genera Acanthopsetta Ammotretis Atheresthes Azygopus Clidoderma Colistium Cleisthenes Clidoderma Colisteum Dexistes Embassichthys Eopsetta Errex Glyptocephalus - fluke Hippoglossoides Hippoglossus - halibut Hypsopsetta Isopsetta Lepidopsetta Limanda - mud dabs Liopsetta - eelback flounder Lyopsetta Marleyella Microstomus - smear dab Nematops Oncopterus Paralichthodes Parophrys Pelotretis Peltorhamphus Platichthys - starry flounder Pleuronectes - northern flounder, plaice Pleuronichthys Poecilopsetta Psammodiscus Psettichthys... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... “Atlantic” redirects here. ...

Physical characteristics

The Halibut is the largest of all flat fish, with an average weight of about 25 lb - 30 lb, but they can grow to be as much as 600 lbs [1]. The Halibut is blackish-grey on the top side and off-white on the underbelly side. When the Halibut is born the eyes are on both sides of its head so it has to swim like a salmon. After about 6 months one eye will migrate to the other side of its head, making it look more like the flounder. This happens at the same time that the stationary eyed side begins to develop a blackish-grey pigment while the other side remains white. This disguises a halibut from above (blending with the ocean floor) and from below (blending into the light from the sky). Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Flounder or flukes are flatfish that live in ocean waters ie. ...

Diet

Halibut feed on almost any animal they can fit in their mouths. Animals found in their stomachs include sand lance, octopus, crab, salmon, hermit crabs, lamprey, sculpin, cod, pollock, herring and flounder. Halibut can be found at depths as shallow as a few meters to hundreds of meters deep, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, halibut will move up in the water column to feed. In most ecosystems the halibut is near the top of the marine food chain. In the North Pacific the only common predators of halibut are the sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the orca whale (Orcinus orca), and the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis). Genera (many, see text) A sand lance or sandlance is a fish belonging to the family Ammodytidae. ... For other uses, see Octopus (disambiguation). ... Superfamilies Dromiacea Homolodromioidea Dromioidea Homoloidea Eubrachyura Raninoidea Cyclodorippoidea Dorippoidea Calappoidea Leucosioidea Majoidea Hymenosomatoidea Parthenopoidea Retroplumoidea Cancroidea Portunoidea Bythograeoidea Xanthoidea Bellioidea Potamoidea Pseudothelphusoidea Gecarcinucoidea Cryptochiroidea Pinnotheroidea * Ocypodoidea * Grapsoidea * An asterisk (*) marks the crabs included in the clade Thoracotremata. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Subfamilies Geotriinae Mordaciinae Petromyzontinae A lamprey (sometimes also called lamprey eel) is a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. ... Genera Alcichthys Andriashevicottus Antipodocottus Archaulus Argyrocottus Artedielloides Artediellus Artedius Ascelichthys Asemichthys Astrocottus Bero Bolinia Chitonotus Clinocottus Cottiusculus Cottus Daruma Enophrys Furcina Gymnocanthus Hemilepidotus Icelinus Icelus Jordania Leiocottus Leptocottus Megalocottus Mesocottus Micrenophrys Microcottus Myoxocephalus Ocynectes Oligocottus Orthonopias Paricelinus Phallocottus Phasmatocottus Porocottus Pseudoblennius Radulinopsis Radulinus Ricuzenius Ruscarius Scorpaenichthys Sigmistes Stelgistrum Stlegicottus Stlengis... COD may refer to many different topics, including: Cash on delivery Completion of discharge, shipping College of DuPage, a public Junior College with campuses in the suburbs of Chicago Call of Duty (series), a series of computer games Canadian Oxford Dictionary Carrier onboard delivery Catastrophic optical damage, a failure mode... Species Pollachius pollachius Pollachius virens Pollock (or pollack, pronounced the same and listed first in most UK and US dictionaries) is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. ... Species Clupea alba Clupea bentincki Clupea caspiopontica Clupea chrysotaenia Clupea elongata Clupea halec Clupea harengus Clupea inermis Clupea leachii Clupea lineolata Clupea minima Clupea mirabilis Clupea pallasii Clupea sardinacaroli Clupea sulcata Herrings are small oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Atlantic... Flounder or flukes are flatfish that live in ocean waters ie. ... A water column is a conceptual column of water from surface to bottom sediments. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Sea Lion (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ... Binomial name Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett, 1947 Range of salmon shark The salmon shark, Lamna ditropis, is a mackerel shark of the family Lamnidae found in the north Pacific, at depths down to 650 m. ...

Halibut fishery

Commercial halibut fishery in the North Pacific dates to the late 19th century and today is one of the largest and most lucrative fisheries in the region. In Canadian and U.S. waters of the North Pacific, halibut are taken by longline, using chunks of octopus ("devilfish") or other bait on circle hooks attached at regular intervals to a weighted line that can extend for several miles across the bottom. Typically the fishing vessel hauls gear after several hours up to a day has passed. A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ... Long-line fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ...

Careful international management of Pacific halibut is necessary, as the species occupies the waters of the United States, Canada, Russia, and possibly Japan(known to the Japanese as Hirame), and is a slow-maturing fish. Halibut do not reproduce until age eight, when they are approximately 30 inches (76 cm) long, so commercial capture of fish below this length is an unsustainable practice and is against U.S. and Canadian regulations. Halibut fishing in the Pacific is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

For most of its modern duration, commercial halibut fishery operated as a derby-style fishery where regulators declared time slots when fishing was open (typically 24-48 hours at a time) and fisherman raced to catch as many pounds as they could within that window. This approach accommodated unlimited participation in the fishery while allowing regulators to control the quantity of fish caught annually by controlling the number and timing of openings. The approach frequently led to unsafe fishing as openings necessarily set in advance and fisherman felt compelled economically to leave port virtually regardless of the weather. The approach also provided fresh halibut to the markets for only several weeks each year.

In 1995, regulators in the United States implemented a quota-based fishery by allocating individual fishing quotas (IFQs) to existing fishery participants based on each vessel's documented historical catch. IFQs grant holders a specific proportion of each year's total allowable catch (TAC) as determined by regulators and can be fished at any time during the 9-month open season. The IFQ system improved both the safety of the fishery and the quality of the product by providing a stable flow of fresh halibut to the marketplace. Critics of the program suggest that, since IFQs are a saleable commodity and the fish a public resource, the IFQ system gave a public resource to the private sector. Would-be fisherman who were not part of the initial IFQ allocation are also critical of the program saying that the capital costs to fishery entry are now too high. Individual fishing quotas (popularly abbreviated to IFQ) are a means by which many governments have tried to regulate fishing. ...

There is also a significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia where halibut are a prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with line weights from 80 to 150 pound test, and often bait with herring, large jigs, or even whole salmon heads. Halibut are very strong, thus in both commercial and sport fisheries large halibut (over 50 to 100 pounds (20 to 50 kg)) are often shot or otherwise subdued before they are brought onto the boat. The sport fishery in Alaska is one of the key elements to the state's summer tourism economy. It is to be noted however, that the amount of halibut caught sport fishing is considerable and fish are frequently below 30" inches in length. The likelihood of overfishing and unenforcible regulations has prompted the government to consider a moratorium on sport fishing for halibut. Halibut are typically broiled, deep fat fried or lightly grilled while fresh. The fillets can also be smoked but this method is more difficult with halibut meat than it is with salmon, due to the ultra-low fat content of halibut. Eaten fresh, the meat has a very clean taste and requires little seasoning. Halibut is also noted for its very dense and firm texture, almost more akin to chicken. Sport fishing is a popular attraction in Cabo San Lucas Sport fishing is a term (often used interchangeably with game fishing) that describes recreational fishing where the primary reward is the challenge of finding and catching the fish rather than the culinary or financial value of the fishs flesh. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour Without Sunset (diminishment)) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th - Total 944,735...

Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) on a Faroese stamp

Halibut have been an important food source to Native Americans and Canadian First Nations for thousands of years and continue to be a key element to many coastal subsistence economies. The management of the halibut resource to accommodate the competing interests of commercial, sport, and subsistence users is a contentious current issue. Image File history File links Faroe_stamp_082_halibut. ... Image File history File links Faroe_stamp_082_halibut. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor Métis. ...

The Atlantic Fishery of halibut has been extremely depleted through overfishing to such an extent that it may possibly be declared an endangered species. Almost all halibut now bought on the East coast are now Pacific halibut.

Species commonly known as "halibut"

• Family Carangidae (jack family, not a flatfish)
  • Australian halibut, Parastromateus niger
• Family Paralichthyidae
  • California halibut, Paralichthys californicus
  • Bastard halibut, Paralichthys olivaceus
• Family Pleuronectidae
  • Arrowtooth halibut, Atheresthes evermanni
  • Shotted halibut, Eopsetta grigorjewi
  • Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus
  • Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis
  • Greenland halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
  • Spotted halibut, Verasper variegatus
• Family Psettodidae
  • Indian halibut

A family of fishes which includes the Pompanos and Jacks Pilot fish - Naucrates ductor Categories: Fish stubs ... Genera Ancylopsetta Cephalopsetta Citharichthys Cyclopsetta Etropus Gastropsetta Hippoglossina Paralichthys Pseudorhombus Syacium Tarphops Tephrinectes Thysanopsetta Xystreurys See text for species. ... Binomial name Paralichthys californicus (Ayres, 1859) The California halibut or California flounder, Paralichthys californicus, is a large-tooth flounder that ranges from Monterey, California to Baja California waters. ... Binomial name Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1846) The Olive flounder or Bastard halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus; Japanese: ) is a species of large-tooth flounder native to the north-western Pacific Ocean. ... Genera Acanthopsetta Ammotretis Atheresthes Azygopus Clidoderma Colistium Cleisthenes Clidoderma Colisteum Dexistes Embassichthys Eopsetta Errex Glyptocephalus - fluke Hippoglossoides Hippoglossus - halibut Hypsopsetta Isopsetta Lepidopsetta Limanda - mud dabs Liopsetta - eelback flounder Lyopsetta Marleyella Microstomus - smear dab Nematops Oncopterus Paralichthodes Parophrys Pelotretis Peltorhamphus Platichthys - starry flounder Pleuronectes - northern flounder, plaice Pleuronichthys Poecilopsetta Psammodiscus Psettichthys... Binomial name Hippoglossus hippoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, is a flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae. ... Binomial name Hippoglossus stenolepis (Smith, 1904) The Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis, is a flatfish found in the northern Pacific Ocean. ... Binomial name Reinhardtius hippoglossoides Walbaum, 1792 The Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Walbum 1792) belongs to the Pleuronectidae family (the right eye flounders), of the Pleuronectiformes (the flatfishes). ...

References

• Clover, Charles. 2004. The End of the Line: How overfishing is changing the world and what we eat. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7

Cultural references

The Monty Python skit "Eric The Half-A-Bee" featured a pet halibut named Eric. Eric was chosen over thousands of halibuts because the other ones were 'all too flat'. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Eric The Half-A-Bee is a song by the British comedy troupe Monty Pythons Flying Circus. ...

Another Monty Python skit features a family mentioning halibut, calling it "jugged fish." When the husband (played by Eric Idle) asked if there are any fish that aren't jugged, his wife (played by Terry Jones) mentions rabbit fish. Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Eric Idle (born March 29, 1943) is a British comedian, actor, author and writer of comedic songs. ... Terence Graham Parry Jones (born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, on February 1, 1942) is a British comedian, screenwriter and actor, film director, childrens author, popular historian, political commentator and TV documentary host. ...

In the Monty Python film "Life of Brian" a character was sentenced to be stoned to death for blasphemy because he exclaimed "that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah" Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Life of Brian is a film from 1979 by Monty Python which deals with the life of Brian (played by Graham Chapman), a young man born at the nearly the same time as, and in a manger right down the street from Jesus. ... For the black metal band, see Blasphemy (band). ... This article is about a reading of the name of God in Hebrew scripture. ...

Halibut also had a major role in Rudyard Kipling's famous book Captains Courageous. This article is about the British author. ... Captains Courageous is an 1897 novel, by Rudyard Kipling, that follows the adventures of fifteen year old Harvey Cheyne Jr. ...

Electronic musician Richard D James' recent Analord series features an entire track dedicated to halibut and the squelching sounds of analog acid on a track called "Halibut Acid" off the fourth record in the series. Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin Aphex Twin (born Richard David James, August 18, 1971, Ireland) is a UK-based electronic music artist, credited with pushing forward the genres of techno, ambient, IDM, acid, drum and bass (specifically drill n bass). ... Analord is a series of 12 vinyl recordings by UK-based electronic music artist Richard D. James. ...

The cartoon Misterjaw featured a character named Harry Halibut whom Misterjaw loved to pursue for food. Misterjaw is a 34-episode made-for-television cartoon series, produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1976 for The Pink Panther and Friends television series on NBC. Misterjaw (voiced by Arte Johnson) was a blue German accented shark(with a purple vest with white collar, a bow tie and tall...

The Norwegian municipality of Tranøy has a halibut in its coat-of-arms. County Troms District Municipality NO-1927 Administrative centre Vangsvik Mayor (2003) Odd Arne Andreassen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 201 524 km² 499 km² 0. ...

In Crimson, an episode of Smallville, after realizing they'd just been set up for a date, Lois tells Clark that the two of them together is like "hot fudge and halibut". Clark responds, "Let me guess, I'm the halibut." Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ...

In the episode "The Heart Attack" from Seinfeld Series, Jerry funnily deciphers a note he wrote during sleep as "Fax me some halibut."

The Martin/Molloy radio show had a sketch called "Two Fat Bastards" where one of the characters called halibut "the fat bastard of the sea." Martin/Molloy was a hugely popular Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. ... Eat Your Peas is the third and final compilation double-album of material taken from the popular Australian radio show Martin/Molloy, with comedians Tony Martin and Mick Molloy. ...

External links

• International Pacific Halibut Commission
• Halibut farming manual (in Norwegian)
• Alaska Department of Fish & Game
• California Halibut fishing see: Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby
• Nutrition facts