Halibut

This article is about the two main flatfish species, Atlantic halibut, H. hippoglossus and Pacific halibut, H. stenolepis. It also mentions other fish that are not true halibut, but whose common names include the word.. For the United States Navy ships, see USS Halibut.

Fishermen in Seward, Alaska with a fresh catch of halibut. June 2015.

Halibut are flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders (Pleuronectidae). Other flatfish also contain the word halibut in their common (non-scientific) names. The word is derived from haly (holy) and butte (flat fish), for its popularity on Catholic holy days. Halibut are demersal fish which live in the North Pacific (Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis) and the North Atlantic oceans (Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus). They are highly regarded food fish.

Species of the genus Hippoglossus

Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) on a Faroese stamp

• Species of the genus Hippoglossus
  • Atlantic halibut, H. hippoglossus
  • Pacific halibut, H. stenolepis

The separate articles on each of these contain more specific details.

Physical characteristics

Halibut tend to be a mottled dark brown on their upward-facing side and white on their downside

The Pacific halibut is the world's largest flatfish. The IGFA record for the latter was apparently broken off the waters of Norway in July 2013 by a 515-pound 8.6 foot fish. This is awaiting certification. In July 2014 76-year-old Jack McGuire caught a 482-pound Pacific halibut in Glacier Bay, Alaska (this is however discounted from records because it was shot to prevent injury to those on the boat).

Halibut are dark brown on the top side with an off-white underbelly and have very small scales invisible to the naked eye embedded in their skin. At birth, they have an eye on each side of the head, and swim like a salmon. After six months, one eye migrates to the other side, making them look more like flounder. At the same time, the stationary-eyed side darkens to match the top side, while the other side remains white. This color scheme disguises halibut from above (blending with the ocean floor) and from below (blending into the light from the sky) and is known as countershading.

Halibut caught off the coast of Raspberry Island, Alaska, in 2007: The two fish being held up are 70 to 80 lb (32 to 36 kg)

Diet

Halibut feed on almost any animal they can fit into their mouths. Juvenile halibut feed on small crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling organisms. Animals found in their stomachs include sand lance, octopus, crab, salmon, hermit crabs, lamprey, sculpin, cod, pollock, herring, and flounder, as well as other halibut. Halibut live at depths ranging from a few meters to hundreds, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, halibut may 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, their common predators are the sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the killer whale (Orcinus orca), and the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis).

Halibut fishery

Filleting of Pacific Halibut taken in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Each halibut yields four fillets; the yield percentage is higher than for most types of fish.

The North Pacific commercial halibut fishery dates to the late 19th century and today is one of the region's largest and most lucrative. In Canadian and US waters, long-line fishing predominates, 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. The fishing vessel retrieves the line after several hours to a day. The effects of long-line gear on habitats are poorly understood, but could include disturbance of sediments, benthic structures, and other structures.

International management is thought to be necessary, because the species occupies waters of the United States, Canada, Russia, and possibly Japan (where the species is known to the Japanese as ohyo), and matures slowly. Halibut do not reproduce until age eight, when about 30 in (76 cm) long, so commercial capture below this length prevents breeding and is against US and Canadian regulations supporting sustainability. Pacific halibut fishing is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

For most of the modern era, halibut fishery operated as a derby. 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 interval. 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 led to unsafe fishing, as openings were necessarily set before the weather was known, forcing fisherman to leave port regardless of the weather. The approach limited fresh halibut to the markets to several weeks per year, when the gluts would push down the price received by fishermen.

Individual fishing quotas

In 1995, US regulators allocated individual fishing quotas (IFQs) to existing fishery participants based on each vessel's documented historical catch. IFQs grant to holders a specific proportion of each year's total allowable catch (TAC). The fishing season is nine months. The IFQ system improved both safety and product quality by providing a stable flow of fresh halibut to the marketplace. Critics of the program suggest, since holders can sell their quota and the fish are a public resource, the IFQ system gave a public resource to the private sector. The fisheries were managed through a treaty between the United States and Canada per recommendations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission, formed in 1923.

A significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia has emerged, where halibut are prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with 80–150 lb (36–68 kg) line, and often bait with herring, large jigs, or whole salmon heads. Halibut are strong and fight strenuously when exposed to air. Smaller fish will usually be pulled on board with a gaff and may be clubbed or even punched in the head to prevent them from thrashing around on the deck. In both commercial and sport fisheries, standard procedure is to shoot or otherwise subdue very large halibut over 150–200 lb (68–91 kg) before landing them. Alaska's sport fishery is an element of the state's tourism economy.

As food

Hot smoked Pacific halibut

Halibut are often boiled, deep-fried or grilled while fresh. Smoking is more difficult with halibut meat than it is with salmon, due to its ultra-low fat content. Eaten fresh, the meat has a clean taste and requires little seasoning. Halibut is noted for its dense and firm texture.

Steamed halibut in black bean sauce

Halibut have historically been an important food source to Alaska Natives and Canadian First Nations, and continue to be a key element to many coastal subsistence economies. Accommodating the competing interests of commercial, sport, and subsistence users is a challenge.

As of 2008 the Atlantic population is so depleted through overfishing that it may be declared an endangered species. According to Seafood Watch, consumers should avoid Atlantic halibut. Most halibut eaten on the East Coast of the United States are from the Pacific.

In 2012 sportfishermen in Cook Inlet reported increased instances of a condition known as "mushy halibut syndrome". The meat of affected fish has a "jelly-like" consistency. When cooked it does not flake in the normal manner of halibut but rather falls apart. The meat is still perfectly safe to eat but the appearance and consistency are considered unappetizing. The exact cause of the condition is unknown but may be related to a change in diet.

Other species sometimes called "halibut"

• Of the same family (Pleuronectidae) as proper halibut
  • Kamchatka flounder, Atheresthes evermanni – sometimes called "arrowtooth halibut"
  • Roundnose flounder, Eopsetta grigorjewi – often called "shotted halibut"
  • Greenland turbot, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides – often called "Greenland halibut"
  • Spotted halibut, Verasper variegatus
• Family Paralichthyidae
  • California flounder, Paralichthys californicus – sometimes called "California halibut"
  • Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus – sometimes called "bastard halibut"
• Family Psettodidae
  • Indian spiny turbot – sometimes called "Indian halibut"
• Family Carangidae (jack family, not a flatfish)
  • Black pomfret, Parastromateus niger – sometimes called "Australian halibut"

Further reading

• 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
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, ed. John Simpson and Edmund Weiner, Clarendon Press, 1989, ISBN 0-19-861186-2.
• "FishWatch – Pacific Halibut." NOAA :: National Marine Fisheries Service. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/pacific_halibut.htm>.

External links

• International Pacific Halibut Commission
• Alaska Department of Fish & Game