Greenland Halibut Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Left-eyed flatfish, but eyes sit near the edge of the head so both remain visible even from the blind side
• Long, slender, elongated body compared to other halibuts
• Uniform dark grayish-brown to blackish coloring on both the eyed and blind sides
• Large mouth lined with well-developed, pointed teeth
• Deeply forked tail fin distinguishes it from many other flatfish
• Grows to roughly 3 to 4 feet

Common look-alikes

• Atlantic halibut has a much deeper, diamond-shaped body with eyes set well apart on top of the head, unlike the Greenland halibut's edge-set eyes.
• Witch flounder has a smaller mouth and a mucus-pored lateral line, without the Greenland halibut's dark, near-black uniform tone.
• Pacific halibut shares the toothy mouth but is deeper-bodied and noticeably lighter colored overall.

Where you'll see one

Greenland halibut live in cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, often below 1,000 feet over soft mud bottoms, where their elongated, dark body suits life in near-total darkness far offshore.