🌊 Saltwater

Pacific Halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis

The Pacific halibut is the world's largest flatfish and one of the most commercially important fish in the North Pacific. These bottom-dwelling giants can weigh over 500 pounds. As juveniles, halibut swim upright like typical fish, but as they grow, one eye migrates to the top of the head and they become flatfish, lying on the ocean floor waiting for prey.

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Typical Size
Up to 8.2 feet (2.5m)
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Weight
20–100+ lbs (9–45+ kg) typical; record over 515 lbs (234 kg)
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Lifespan
55+ years
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Water Type
Saltwater

🗺️ Habitat

Continental shelf and slope of the North Pacific Ocean from California to Japan. Found on sandy and rocky bottoms from near shore to 3,600 feet deep.

🔍 How to Identify Pacific Halibut

  • 1Very large, diamond-shaped flatfish body
  • 2Both eyes on the same side (right side)
  • 3Dark brown to gray-green on upper side; white underside
  • 4Small, slightly forked tail (unlike most flatfish with rounded tails)
  • 5Lateral line arches strongly over the pectoral fin

🍽️ Diet

Octopus, crab, shrimp, clams, other flatfish, cod, pollock, and squid

💡 Fun Facts About Pacific Halibut

  • ★Female Pacific halibut grow much larger than males — most fish over 100 lbs are female
  • ★Young halibut can swim upright for their first 6 months before one eye migrates
  • ★Pacific halibut fishing off Alaska is a multi-million dollar industry
  • ★A 515-lb halibut is the all-tackle world record, caught in Unalaska, Alaska
  • ★Halibut are demersal hunters who can rise off the bottom to actively pursue prey

🛡️ Conservation Status

Least Concern — managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission

🔗 Related Species

Atlantic CodSummer Flounder

Identify Pacific Halibut Instantly with AI

Not sure if you found a Pacific Halibut? Snap a photo with our Fish Identifier app for an instant AI-powered identification.

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Learn more:

How to Identify Fish: A Beginner's GuideMost Common Freshwater Fish in North America← Back to All Fish Species