Turbot | |
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Scophthalmus maximus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
Family: | Scophthalmidae |
Genus: | Scophthalmus |
Species: | S. maximus |
Binomial name | |
Scophthalmus maximus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Synonyms | |
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The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
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The word comes from the Old French tourbout, which in turn is thought to be a derivative of the Latin turbo ("spinning top") a possible reference to its shape.[1] Early reference to the Turbot can be found in a satirical poem (The Emperor's Fish) by Juvenal, a Roman poet of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries A.D., suggesting this fish was a delicacy in the Roman empire.
Turbot is pronounced /ˈtɜrbət/ tur-bət. It is occasionally mispronounced /ˈtɜrboʊ/ tur-boh. This is likely a back-formation based on French words ending in -ot (the French pronunciation of "turbot" is [tyʁbo]), or an instance of hypercorrection.. In Turkey, where the fish is popular and expensive, it is called "Kalkan" - "shield" - due to the fish's resemblance to the item.
The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a large left-eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and has been known to grow up to 100 cm (39 in) long and 25 kg (55 lb) in weight.[2]
Turbot is highly prized as a food fish for its delicate flavour, and is also known as breet, britt or butt. It is a valuable commercial species, acquired through aquaculture and trawling. Turbot are farmed in France, Spain, Turkey, Chile, Norway, and China.[3] Turbot has a bright white flesh that retains this appearance when cooked. Like all flatfish, turbot yields four fillets with meatier topside portions that may be baked, poached or pan-fried.
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