The California halibut or California flounder (''Paralichthys californicus'') is a large-tooth flounder native to the waters of the Pacific Coast of North America from the

Quillayute River The Quillayute River (also spelled Quileute River) is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It empties to the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington. The Quillayute River is formed by the confluence of the Bogachiel River, Cal ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Magdalena Bay Magdalena Bay ( es, Bahía Magdalena) is a long bay in Comondú Municipality along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the unpopulated sandy barrier islands of Isla Magdalena ...

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. It feeds near shore and is free swimming. It typically weighs 6 to 30 pounds (3 to 23 kg). It is much smaller than the larger and more northern-ranging

Pacific halibut The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

that can reach 300 pounds (140 kg). This is an unusual fish in that one eye has to migrate around from one side to the other as it grows from an upright fry or baby fish into an adult fish that lies on its side. The adult has two eyes on the up-side as it lies on the bottom. Most flatfish are generally either right-eyed or left-eyed, but the California halibut is unusual in having a roughly even number of each type. Like other flatfish, the halibut hides under sand or loose gravel and blends into the bottom.

References

* *

External links

Dr. Larry Allen of CSUN.edu on California Halibut

California Halibut is key fish of oldest fishing tournament in Southern California - MDR Halibut Derby

California World Record Halibut

*Miller, D.L. and R.N. Lea. 1972. ''Guide to the coastal marine fishes of California''. Calif. Dept. Fish and Game, Fish Bull. 157. 299 p *Oda, D. 1991. Development of eggs and larvae of California halibut ''Paralichthys californicus'' and fantail sole ''Xystreurys liolepis'' (Pisces: Paralichthyidae). ''Fishery Bulletin'', U.S. 89:387-402. {{Taxonbar, from=Q942266 California halibut Fauna of California Fauna of the Baja California Peninsula Fish of the Gulf of California Fish of the Western United States Sport fish Fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area California halibut

References

External links

Further reading