Turbot is a flat and almost completely circular flounder fish. It is often found partially buried in sand, gravel, rocks and sediment by the seashore, and at depths of up to 80 metres. It is common along the coastline as far north as Lofoten, and especially in the fjords of southern and western Norway. The spawning season is between May and August in the Atlantic, when the female spawns up to 15 million pelagic eggs. The male larvae reaches maturity around the age of 3, the female around the age of 4. The turbot is an active predator and can live up to 20 years.
Wild catch
Turbot are to be found along the Norwegian coast north to Lofoten, -and to a lesser extent further north towards Porsanger. They also flourish in the fjords of Southern and Western Norway.
A female spawns from a few to about 15 million pelagic eggs. The larvae live pelagic until they are about 2.5 cm long.
Products
Turbot is sold in the following forms:
- Fresh in slices
- Fillets
- Whole fish
Diet
As a juvenile, it eats mostly crustaceans and adults are carnivorous, feeding mainly on other fish.
Nutrition
Turbot is especially rich in:
- Protein that builds and maintains every cell in the body.
- Vitamin D, necessary to balance calcium in the body, which maintains and strengthens the bones.
- Vitamin B12, which is important for the body in producing new cells, including red blood cells. Vitamin B12 can help to prevent anaemia.
- Selenium, an important element in an enzyme that fights harmful chemical processes in the body.
More nutritional data can be found at www.nifes.no/en/prosjekt/seafood-data