turbot

turbot: see flatfish.

Species (Scophthalmus maximus, family Scophthalmidae or Bothidae) of broad-bodied European flatfish, a highly valued food fish. It lives along sand and gravel shores. It is left-sided (with eyes normally on the left side of the head) and scaleless; the head and body are studded with numerous bony knobs. Turbots grow to, at most, 40 in. (1 m) long and weigh about 55 lb (25 kg). Colour varies with the surroundings but is usually gray-brown or light brown with darker markings. A related species is the Black Sea turbot (S. maeoticus). Certain right-sided Pacific flatfish (genus Pleuronichthys, family Pleuronectidae) are also called turbot.

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Turbot (family Scophthalmidae, order Pleuronectiformes) are flatfish native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic.

Name

Taxon name

The taxon name for Turbot comes from the Greek language: skopein meaning "to look" and ophthalmos meaning "eye".

Pronunciation of "Turbot"

The name of the fish may be pronounced tur-bit or tur-but (in rhotic English tɝɻbɪt or tɝɻbət, in non-rhotic English ˈtɜbɪt or ˈtɜbət). Alternatively, American English speakers may often pronounce turbot as tur-bo (ˈtɝɻboʊ). This is likely a back-formation based on French words ending in -ot; the French pronunciation of "turbot" is (tyʁbo).

Varieties of Turbot

The European turbot (Psetta maxima) is a large left-eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and may attain sizes of 30 to 40 pounds (approx. 15 to 17 kilograms). Greenland Turbot (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides), sometimes known as blue halibut or Greenland halibut, is usually harvested in the cold waters off Greenland in water depths of up to 1000m. Both flavor and texture is very similar to Pacific Halibut.

Turbot as food fish

Turbot is highly prized as a food fish for its delicate flavour. It is a valuable commercial species, acquired through aquaculture and trawling. Turbot are farmed in France, Spain, Turkey, Chile, Norway and China. Turbot has a bright white flesh that retains its appearance when cooked. Like all flatfish, turbot yields four fillets with meatier topside portions that may be baked, poached or pan-fried.

Turbot vision

Turbot has the sharpest vision out of all fish species.

See also

• Turbot War

External links

• Turbot @ About.com
• Nutrition Facts for Turbot