Turbot

Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a large left-eyed flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae, native to the coastal waters of Europe. It is distinguished from most other European flatfish by its almost circular, broad diamond-shaped body and rough, scaleless skin covered in small bony tubercles rather than typical fish scales. Turbot are found from the eastern Atlantic, including the North Sea, English Channel, and British Isles, south to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. They have long been valued in European fisheries and aquaculture, and while regionally managed, wild populations are broadly considered stable, with additional supply now coming from farmed sources.

Turbot are identified by their unusually rounded, almost circular flatfish outline and rough skin.

• Body: broad, rounded diamond shape, notably wider relative to length than many flatfish
• Eyes: both on the left side (left-eyed flatfish)
• Skin: rough and scaleless, covered with scattered bony tubercles rather than smooth scales
• Coloration: mottled sandy brown, gray, or olive upper side that closely matches seabed sediment; pale underside
• Size: commonly 50-70 cm Its rounded body shape and bony-tubercled skin distinguish it from the closely related brill, which has a more elongated, oval body and smooth scaled skin.

Turbot live on sandy, gravelly, or mixed seabeds in coastal and shelf waters, typically from shallow depths of a few meters down to around 100 m. They occur across the northeastern Atlantic, including the North Sea, Baltic Sea, English Channel, and waters around the British Isles and Scandinavia, extending south into the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Turbot favor areas with loose sediment that allow them to partly bury themselves for camouflage while ambushing prey. They tolerate a range of temperatures and salinities, sometimes moving into slightly brackish coastal lagoons, though they are primarily a fully marine species.

Turbot are solitary, sedentary ambush predators that lie camouflaged against sandy or gravelly bottoms, often partially buried, waiting to strike at passing fish and crustaceans with a rapid lunge. Their rough, tubercle-covered skin and mottled coloration provide effective camouflage against the seabed. They are not schooling fish and tend to remain in a home range on suitable substrate, moving mainly in response to prey availability, temperature, or spawning migrations. Spawning occurs in spring and summer in coastal and offshore waters, with females releasing large numbers of pelagic eggs that drift with currents before larvae settle to the bottom and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile flatfish.