Bony fish · Pleuronectiformes · Pleuronectidae

Atlantic Halibut

Hippoglossus hippoglossus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The halibut, or Atlantic halibut, is a large flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, usually measuring up to 1.2 m long and reaching 200 kg in weight, although individuals of up to 3 m and 320 kg are not rare. It is found mainly in the Atlantic Ocean, and is often confused with the sole or regarded as a subspecies of it, but although it belongs to the same order it is not of the same family.

Weight

176 kg on average

Size

up to 4.7 m

Lifespan

50 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

8countries17parks1same family

Fun facts

  • It is the largest flatfish in the world: there are records of 470 cm and 320 kg.
  • The males rarely exceed 25-30 kg; the giants are always females.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment
Sand, gravel and clay bottoms of the North Atlantic and the adjacent Arctic, between 50 and 2,000 m
Sexual maturity
9.9 years
Litter / clutch size
From a few thousand to four million eggs per spawning

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippoglossus_hippoglossus

Where to watch it

Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 17 documentados.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Atlantic Halibut — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about atlantic halibut.

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