Turbot
📖 Overview
Adults live on sandy, rocky or mixed bottoms; rather common in brackish waters. Feed mainly on other bottom-living fishes (sand-eels, gobies, etc.), and also, to a lesser extent, on larger crustaceans and bivalves. Batch spawner . Spawning season is between April and August; pelagic eggs. May reach 25 kg . Highly esteemed food fish. Utilized fresh or frozen; eaten steamed, pan-fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Body almost circular. Eye side without scales but with large bony tubercles .: short and / or deep; Cross section: flattened.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Turbot is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Spawning usually happens between the months of February and April in the Mediterranean and from May to July in the Atlantic. Sequenced spawning every 2-4 days. Eggs have a single fat drop. Larvae are initially symmetric but, at the end of the metamorphosis (day 40-50, 25 mm), the right eye moves to the left side, losing its initial bilateral symmetry. Egg size 0.9 - 1.2 mm, larval length at hatching 2.7-3.1 mm.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous ; depth range 20 - 70 m . Temperate; 70°N - 30°N, 25°W - 42°E Northeast Atlantic: throughout the Mediterranean and along the European coasts to Arctic Circle; also found in most of the Baltic Sea.
🌿 Ecology
other bottom-living fishes (sand-eels, gobies, etc
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Turbot is an edible species."
- 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
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.5 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 275 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Turbot has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bothus maximus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Pleuronectes cyclops | Donovan | 1806 | Synonym |
| Pleuronectes maximus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Homotypic |
| Pleuronectes tuberculatus | Shaw | 1803 | Synonym |
| Pleuronectes turbot | Lacepède | 1802 | Synonym |
| Psetta maxima | Linnaeus | 1758 | Homotypic |
| Psetta maxima maxima | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Rhombus aculeatus | Gottsche | 1835 | Synonym |
| Rhombus magnus | Minding | 1832 | Synonym |
| Rhombus maximus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Rhombus rhombitis | Rathke | 1836 | Synonym |
| Rhombus stellosus | Bennett | 1835 | Heterotypic |
| Scophthalmus ponticus | Ninni | 1932 | Heterotypic |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 34 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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