Halibut

This article is about the flatfish species; for the United States Navy ships named Halibut see USS Halibut.

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

Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders (Pleuronectidae). Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly (holy) and butt (flat fish), for its popularity on Catholic holy days.^[1] Halibut live in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans and are highly-regarded^[1][2][3][4] food fish.

Physical characteristics

The halibut is the largest flat fish, averaging 11–13.5 kilograms (24–30 lb), but catch as large as 333 kilograms (730 lb) are reported; the largest recently recorded^[5] was 245 kilograms (540 lb) taken off the coast of Northern Norway and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long.^[6][7] They are gray-black on the top side with an off-white underbelly and have very small scales invisible to the naked eye embedded in their skin.^[8] 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. The two fish being held up are 70 to 80 pounds (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, flounder as well as other halibut. Halibut live at depths ranging from a few meters to hundreds of meters, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom,^[1] 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 orca (Orcinus orca), and the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis).

Halibut fishery

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 U.S. waters, longline 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 longline gear on habitats are poorly understood but could include disturbance of sediments, benthic structures, and other structures.

International management is 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 inches (76 cm) long, so commercial capture below this length prevents breeding and is against U.S. and Canadian regulations supporting sustainability. Pacific halibut fishing is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

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, U.S. regulators allocated individual fishing quotas (IFQs) to existing fishery participants based on each vessel's documented historical catch. IFQs grant 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 that, 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 that was formed in 1923.

There is also a significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia where halibut are a prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with 80–150 pounds (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 in order 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 pounds (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 broiled, 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.

Halibut have historically been an important food source to Native Americans 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.

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.^[9] Most halibut eaten on the East coast of the United States are from the Pacific.

Species of the genus Hippoglossus (proper halibut)

Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) on a Faroese stamp

• Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus
• Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis

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"

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Uncle Ray (September 10, 1941). "Right Eye of Halibut Moves Over to the left Side of Head". The Pittsburgh Press. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OVIbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4454,336523&dq=halibut+popular+food-fish&hl=en. Retrieved 2010-10-04. "The name "halibut" means "holy flatfish". It came from halibut being a popular food fish on holy days in England during early times." 
2. ^ Moira Hodgson (November 11, 1990). "FOOD; Putting a Spotlight on Halibut". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30613F83C540C728DDDA80994D8494D81. Retrieved 2010-10-04. "In England, halibut has always been popular..." 
3. ^ "Follow Rules to Serve Fish Without Odor". The Milwaukee Journal. February 11, 1954. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5zAoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZSMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5521,4688205&dq=halibut+most-popular-fish&hl=en. Retrieved 2010-10-04. "Fish can provide an economical main dish. Have boiled, baked or fried fish, or like most folks, choose cod, halibut, or ocean perch. They're the three most popular fish varieties" 
4. ^ Ted Whipp (April 8, 2009). "Fish and chips on Good Friday's menu". The Windsor Star. http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=82e340fc-b11f-4714-ad10-6584b1a69352. Retrieved 2010-10-04. "He and his son ... expect hungry hordes, especially for the halibut, the most popular fish on the menu." 
5. ^ http://www.norwaypost.no/content/view/22349/1/
6. ^ [1]
7. ^ Hippoglossus stenolepis - Halibut Biology from Egg to Maturity
8. ^ http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/fish/halibut.php
9. ^ "Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch Program-All Seafood List". Monterey Bay Aquarium. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=9. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 

• 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