# Turbot (*Scophthalmus maximus*) Turbot is a flat fish that has a thick body and is known for its delicious taste. They live on the seabed and love to hide! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Ocean floor - **Also known as:** Scophthalmus maximus, Turbot Flounder ![Turbot](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425818/objects/4705.jpg) ## Appearance The Turbot has a unique, almost circular or diamond-shaped, very flat body. Its skin is mottled brown, grey, or greenish, often covered in bony, wart-like tubercles. Both eyes are on its left, upper side, allowing it to rest camouflaged on the seafloor. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Pleuronectiformes - **Family:** Scophthalmidae - **Genus:** Scophthalmus ## Interesting facts - As they grow, one eye actually travels over their head to the other side! Wow! - Did you know Turbot start life swimming upright, just like regular fish? - These fish can grow super big, sometimes weighing more than a large dog! - Turbot are a type of 'flatfish,' perfectly designed to live on the ocean floor. ## Special abilities - **Master of Disguise:** Turbot can quickly change its skin color to perfectly match the sandy or gravelly seabed, helping it hide from predators and ambush prey. - **Flat-body Burrower:** Turbot has a super flat body that lets it bury itself partly or completely into the sand, becoming invisible to others. - **Topside Vision:** Turbot has both eyes on one side of its head, allowing it to scan for food and danger while lying flat on the ocean floor. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-100 cm - **Weight:** 5-25 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-25 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 100 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding A sneaky bottom-dweller that ambushes small fish and crustaceans from its sandy hideout. - **Age differences:** Young turbot primarily eat small invertebrates; as they grow, their diet shifts mainly to small fish. - **Primary Foods:** sandeels, gobies, shrimp, crabs, small mollusks - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Grey Seal (*Halichoerus grypus*) — Seals hunt Turbot as a common part of their varied marine diet. - **Eaten by:** Spiny Dogfish (*Squalus acanthias*) — These small sharks prey on Turbot and other bottom-dwelling fish. - **Hunts:** Sandeel (*Ammodytes marinus*) — Turbot ambush sandeels hiding in the sand for a quick meal. - **Hunts:** Common Shrimp (*Crangon crangon*) — Turbot also feasts on shrimp, snapping them up from the seafloor. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Turbot? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Turbot? 50-100 cm ### How much does Turbot weigh? 5-25 kg ### How long does Turbot live? 15-25 years ### What does Turbot eat? A sneaky bottom-dweller that ambushes small fish and crustaceans from its sandy hideout. ### How fast can Turbot swim? 8 km/h ### Where is Turbot usually found? Ocean floor ### How does Turbot hunt? Ambush ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Turbot: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/turbot)