New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Data Deficient 🍽️ Edible 🌡️ Tropical

Indian halibut

Psettodes erumei Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Max Length
64 cm
Max Weight
9.0 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.4
Depth
1–100 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
29.00/100
Typical Length
50 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Found on sand and mud bottoms . Usually deeply burried in the substrate during the day, but out and hunting at night . Often swims in an upright position . Mainly piscivorous . Mainly sold fresh ; also utilized smoked and frozen . Processed into fish flour .

Scientific Name
Psettodes erumei
Authority
Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
DD
Max Length
64 cm
Max Weight
9 kg
Depth Range
1–100 m
Latitude
21°S – 26°N
Trophic Level
4.4
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
29.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 38 - 45; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 33 - 43; Vertebrae: 23 - 25. Body oval and flat, but thicker than in most other flatfishes. Mouth large with strong teeth; maxillary extends well beyond hind edge of lower eye; both eyes on left or right side; upper eye lying immediately below dorsal edge; gill rakers not developed. Dorsal fin origin well posterior to eyes; anterior fin rays spinous; lateral line almost straight. Color usually brown or grey, sometimes with 4 broad, dark crossbars. Dorsal, anal and caudal fin tips black. Blind side occasionally partially colored. (Other sources of morphological data: Refs. 591, 529, 4416, 5997 and 6000).: fusiform / normal; Cross section: flattened.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Indian halibut is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Indian halibut is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
38cm TL

Studies in Porto Novo, India show that the sex ratio significantly differ from 1:1, but the reports are ambiguous as to which sex predominates.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 1 - 100 m , usually 20 - 50 m . Tropical; 26°N - 21°S, 43°E - 156°E West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and Australia.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
4.4±0.3

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00676 × L3.14 (TL)
Max TL
64cm
Max Weight
9,000g
Dorsal Spines
10
Dorsal Rays
42
Anal Spines
1
Anal Rays
38
Vertebrae
24

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Data Deficient
Assessment Date
2019

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
29.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.4
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
26°N – 21°S
Described By
Bloch & Schneider, 1801

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Indian halibut is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

Nutrient Amount
Protein 18.4 g
Omega-3 (total) 181 mg

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Indian halibut has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Adalah · Australian Halibut · Indian halibut · Indian spiny turbot · Queensland halibut · Tropical Halibut · flounders
🇸🇦Arabic هلبوت أسترالي · هلبوت استوائي · هلبوت كوينزلاند · هلبوت هندي
🌍CES kambalovec indopacifický
🇫🇷French Turbot épineux indien
🇯🇵Japanese ボウズガレイ
🌍MSA Sisa nabi
🇷🇺Russian Индийский псеттод
🌍SWA Wayo
🌍THA ปลาจักรผาน
🇨🇳Chinese 咬龍狗 · 大口鰜 · 左口 · 扁魚 · 比目魚 · 皇帝魚

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Hippoglossus dentex Richardson 1845 Synonym
Hippoglossus erumei Bloch & Schneider 1801 Synonym
Hippoglossus goniographicus Richardson 1846 Synonym
Hippoglossus orthorhynchus Richardson 1846 Synonym
Hippoglossus quadrifasciatus Bleeker 1870 Synonym
Pleuronectes erumei Bloch & Schneider 1801 Synonym
Pleuronectes nalaka Cuvier 1829 Synonym
Psettotes erumei Bloch & Schneider 1801 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 40 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Indian halibut ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.