Megrim Identification Guide
How to recognize a megrim by its thin body, oversized mouth, and pale, sparsely marked coloring.
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Key identification features
- Thin, elongated, left-eyed flatfish with a noticeably large head and mouth relative to body size
- Pale sandy-brown to grayish coloring on the eyed side, often near-translucent, with faint blotches rather than bold spots
- Large eyes set close together; lateral line strongly curved above the pectoral fin
- Small, smooth (cycloid) scales that rub off easily, giving the skin a delicate, slimy feel
- Typically 12-16 inches long, with a body noticeably thinner than most flatfish of similar length
Common look-alikes
- Four-spot megrim: shows four clear dark blotches (two per side) versus the megrim's plain, largely unspotted body
- Brill: deeper-bodied and thicker overall, with a proportionally smaller mouth and head than the megrim
- Turbot: rounder, diamond-shaped body studded with bony tubercles, unlike the megrim's smooth, thin build
Where you'll see one
Megrim inhabit sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope across the northeastern Atlantic, from Iceland and Norway south to the Mediterranean and Atlantic Morocco, typically in 100-1,500 feet of water.
Frequently asked questions
How do I separate a megrim from a four-spot megrim?
Look for four dark round blotches on the body - their presence marks a four-spot megrim, while a plain, unspotted body indicates the common megrim.
What single trait quickly marks a fish as a megrim rather than a brill or turbot?
Its unusually large mouth and head paired with a thin, almost translucent body is the fastest tell.