name: Pacific Halibut
flavor_db_name_variants: pacific halibut
source: foodb
status: draft
food_db_id: Pacific halibut
id: 517
name_scientific: Hippoglossus stenolepis
description: Hippoglossus stenolepis, the Pacific Halibut, is a species of righteye flounder. This very large species of flatfish is native to the North Pacific and supports important commercial fishery. Pacific halibut have diamond-shaped bodies. They are more elongated than most flatfishes, the width being about one-third of the length. It has a high arch in the lateral line over the pectoral fin, and a lunate, or crescent-shaped tail, which is different from other flat fishes. Small scales are embedded in the skin. Halibut have both eyes on their dark or upper sides. The color on the dark side varies, but tends to assume the coloration of the ocean bottom. The underside is lighter, appearing more like the sky from below. This color adaptation allows halibut to avoid detection by both prey and predator. They are one of the largest flatfish (only surpassed by the closely related Atlantic halibut), and can weigh up to 500 lb (230 kg) and grow to over 8 ft (2.4 m) long.
itis_id: 172932
wikipedia_id: Pacific_halibut
picture_file_name: 528.jpg
picture_content_type: image/jpeg
picture_file_size: 76074
picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:40:56.000Z
legacy_id: 555
food_group: Aquatic foods
food_subgroup: Fishes
food_type: Type 1
created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:46.000Z
updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:05:26.000Z
creator_id: null
updater_id: null
export_to_afcdb: false
category: specific
ncbi_taxonomy_id: 195615
export_to_foodb: true
public_id: FOOD00517