Norwegian record Atlantic halibut: 233.5 kg

About Atlantic halibut

The Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is the world's largest flatfish. Both eyes sit on the right side. The upper side is a uniform dark chocolate, olive or almost black, and the underside is white. Halibut live across the North Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to Svalbard and along the whole Norwegian coast, especially north of Stad. They stay on or near the bottom from a few tens of metres down to 2,000 m. Halibut are active hunters of herring, cod-like fish, squid and crabs. They grow slowly, mature late and spawn in deep water in winter. Males stay far smaller than females, which can exceed 2.5 m and weigh several hundred kilos. Anglers use large soft lures or bait near the bottom, often over shallow sandy areas in summer, particularly in northern Norway. Minimum size and closed seasons apply, so check the Directorate of Fisheries' rules. Norwegian Red List 2021: Least Concern (LC).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Fiskeridirektoratet, Lovdata, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Saltvann
• Best month: Juli
• Red list status: LC (2021)

See the species guide

Biggest Atlantic halibut in FishComp

11 kg (5 % of the record) by Frode Lothe. See the catch

How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.