Halibut

There is good reason why the fully mature halibut is referred to by marine biologists as a “whale.” With the potential to grow as large as 500 pounds (227 kg), this flatfish is truly the king of its kind. From a commercial point of view, however, halibut are more commonly found anywhere from 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) to 121 pounds (55 kg).

This large range in size accounts for an equally large range of halibut subspecies. The Atlantic halibut is the largest variety and can be found from the northeastern coast of Canada all the way to Maine in the United States. The Pacific and Alaskan halibut are both a little smaller than the Atlantic, but are more abundant and therefore preferable as a commercial fishery.