halibut - Physical characteristics, Diet, Halibut fishery, Species commonly known as "halibut", Cultural references

Largest of the Atlantic flatfishes (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), found on sandy and stony bottoms (100–1500 m/300–5000 ft) in cold N waters; length up to 2·5 m/8 ft; eyes on right side, mouth and teeth large; brown to greenish-brown with white underside; edible, commercially important, and prized by sea anglers. (Family: Pleuronectidae.)

Halibut live in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic Oceans, and are highly regarded food fish.

Physical characteristics

The halibut is the largest of all flatfish; Atlantic and Pacific halibut have distinctly different bone structures with that of Atlantic halibut being easier to cut.

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, pollack and flounder. Halibut can be found at depths as shallow as a few metres to hundreds of metres deep, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, halibut will move up in the water column to feed.

Halibut fishery

The commercial halibut fishery in the North Pacific dates to the late 19th century and today is one 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 which can extend for several miles across the bottom.

Careful international management of Pacific halibut is necessary, as the species occupies the waters of the United States, Canada, Russia, and possibly Japan, 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. The halibut fishery in the Pacific is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

For most of its modern duration the commercial halibut fishery operated as a derby-style fishery where regulators declared time slots when the fishery was open (typically 24-48 hours at a time) and fisherman raced to catch as many pounds as they could within that window. 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.

There is also a significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia where halibut are a prized game and food fish. 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 filets 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.

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 Alantic 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 is 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, Psettodes erumei

Cultural references

The Monty Python skit "Eric The Half-A-Bee" featured a pet halibut named Eric.

Another Monty Python skit features a family mentioning halibut, calling it "jugged fish".

Halibut also had a major role in Rudyard Kipling's famous book Captains Courageous.

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 of the 4th record in the series.

The cartoon Misterjaw featured a character named Harry Halibut who Misterjaw loved to pursue for food.