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Indian halibut (Psettodes erumei) — Psettodidae

Indian halibut

Psettodes erumei
Family: Psettodidae
DD · Data Deficient

The Indian halibut (Psettodes erumei) is a saltwater fish of the family Psettodidae that grows up to 64 cm.

Length
64 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Indian halibut (Psettodes erumei) is a flatfish of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and Australia. It grows to 64 centimetres and lives on sand and mud bottoms, usually at 20-50 metres. The body is oval and flat but thicker than that of most flatfishes, and in this primitive flatfish group the eyes occur on either the left or the right side. The fish is brown or grey with four broad dark crossbars and black fin tips. It is a decided piscivore with a large mouth. The species is a valued commercial fish, sold mainly fresh.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Indian halibut?

The Indian halibut has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Indian halibut live?

The Indian halibut lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Indian halibut get?

The Indian halibut grows to a maximum of about 64 cm. On average the species is around 50 cm.

Is the Indian halibut dangerous to humans?

No, the Indian halibut is harmless to humans.

Is the Indian halibut edible?

Yes, the Indian halibut is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Indische heilbot inferred
English name
Indian halibut verified
Scientific name
Psettodes erumei
Family
Psettodidae
Other names
Adalah; Australian halibut; False halibut; Flounder; Halibut verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
64.0 verified
Average length (cm)
50 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown verified
Pattern
Vertical bars verified
Tail shape
Rounded sourced
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous verified
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuuraas of kunstaas dat over de zand- of modderbodem wordt getrokken. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Psettodes

More from the family Psettodidae

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