halibut

/ˈhæləbət/

/ˈhælɪbət/

Other forms: halibuts

A halibut is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its body. Halibut are native to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

With its oddly placed eyes, this coldwater fish resembles a young child's drawing. A baby halibut is more symmetrical at birth, with an eye on each side of its head. At about six months old, the fish goes through a metamorphosis that leaves it with both eyes on one side. There are many flatfish, but the halibut is the largest. The name derives from roots meaning "holy flatfish," a reference to the Christian tradition of eating fish on holy days.

Definitions of halibut

1. noun

   marine food fish of the northern Atlantic or northern Pacific; the largest flatfish and one of the largest teleost fishes
   synonyms: holibut

   type of:

   flatfish

   any of several families of fishes having flattened bodies that swim along the sea floor on one side of the body with both eyes on the upper side
2. noun

   lean flesh of very large flatfish of Atlantic or Pacific
   type of:

   flatfish

   sweet lean whitish flesh of any of numerous thin-bodied fish; usually served as thin fillets