Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help
Researched by | Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters | Refereed by | Admin |
Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) | ||
Other common names | - | Synonyms | Scophthalmus maxima , Scophthalmus maxima , Psetta maxima |
A large, rounded flatfish with a broad body only one and a half times as long as wide. Usually 50-80 cm in length but can occasionally reach up to 1 m in length. The turbot lays on its right side with left side uppermost. The eyes are on the upper left side. The mouth is large, curved and to the left of the eyes. The dorsal fin starts at the snout in front of the left eye. Neither the dorsal or anal fins continues under the tail. The skin bears no scales but scattered strong bony tubercles on the upper body surface instead. The lateral line is strongly arched over the pectoral fin. Colouration is variable and the fish can change colour to match its background. It is usually a dull sandy-brown to grey, with minute brown, blackish or greenish specks scattered over the body and extending onto the fins. The tail is strongly speckled to its tip. The underside is white occasionally with darker blotches.
The turbot may be confused with the brill Scophthalmus rhombus which lacks bony tubercles and has a frilly front edge to its dorsal fin. Turbot is a valuable commercial food fish.
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National Trust, 2017. National Trust Species Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/opc6g1 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.
NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.
OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), 2023. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2023-03-30
This review can be cited as:
Last Updated: 24/04/2008