*Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus – lives in the North Atlantic
*Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis – lives in the North Pacific
The Pacific halibut is a subspecies of the Atlantic relative and is found in the North Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea and Alaska to the Sea of Okhotsk and the California coast.
Both are in the same Pleuronectidae family as other flatfish like flounder, reached popularity in the nineteenth century, when the size of the individuals sometimes reached heoric proportions of six hundred pounds.
This fish can reach lengths up to 7.5 feet (2.3 meters). In rare cases, halibut grow to be giants. In 1884, near Hammerfest, Norway, a halibut weighting 528 pounds was caught. The largest halibut ever recorded was 15.4 feet (4.7 meters) and weighed 726 pounds (330 kilograms).
Halibut has a firm, sometimes dark flesh; large, easy-to-find bones; and a meaty texture when cooked. Because the individual fish were so large, halibut was almost always sold as steaks, which can be fried or baked.
Halibut is an excellent source of protein, potassium, selenium, and vitamin B12. In addition, it is a very good source of vitamin B6, niacin and phosphorus. Halibut liver oil is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin D and is a primary commercial source if these vitamins.
Fish of Halibut species
