Halibut, or HOLIBUT (Hippoglossus vulgaris), the largest of all the flat-fish (Pleuronectidæ), in form more elongated than the flounder or the turbot, the eyes on the right side, the upper surface smooth, and covered with small soft oval scales, the colour brownish, marbled all over with darker markings, the under surface smooth and white. The halibut, though esteemed for the table, is not to be compared in quality with the turbot; its flesh, though white and firm, is dry and of little flavour. It is found from the coasts of Spitzbergen to Iceland, off Newfoundland, &c., and from Finland and Scandinavia to the British and French coasts, but is rare in the Channel. It is abundant off the Orkneys, especially in eddies where tides meet. It is also found on the coasts of New England, New York, California, and Kamchatka. It is a fish of great value to the Greenlanders, who preserve it for winter use by cutting it into long strips and drying it in the air. Oil is obtained from it in considerable quantity, chiefly from the bones. It attains a great size; specimens have been caught in Europe weighing at least 500 lb., and one caught in Iceland was little short of 20 feet long.