Scientific name: Psetta maxima

Flattened dorso-ventrally, it has a very pronounced rhomboid-circular shape and on the body it has bone protuberances which distinguish it from other species and give it the name of diamond turbot.

Characteristics

The turbot belongs to a group of flat fish called "rhombuses" with some common Characteristics, for example, the eyes are both on the left side of the body which is also pigmented, while the right which is in contact with the sea bottom is clear. Furthermore, their body has the geometric shape of a rhombus, from which they take their name (in italian). The turbot, in particular, has a very pronounced rhomboid shape. The right side of the body is brown or grayish with dark specks while the left side is white-pink. The camouflage allows it to hide from predators and to ambush prey. The body has scales but they are very adherent, so much so that it appears smooth. It can reach a maximum length of 1 m and weigh 12 kg.

Habitat

It lives in sandy and muddy sea bottoms, in water ranging from a few meters to 100 meters deep, and it camouflages itself assuming the same colour as the seabed. Along the Italian coast it is common the young can also live in brackish lagoons. Turbot is highly prized for its meat and in the 1970s in Europe techniques were developed to breed this species. The main producing country in Europe is Spain.

Sources:

• https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psetta_maxima
• http://www.chioggiapesca.it/it/?pesci=rombo
  (Rodríguez Villanueva e Fernández Souto, 2006). Dott. Alessandro Lucchetti Institute of Marine Sciences National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR) Fishery Section Fishing technology Department Ancona
• http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/documentation/publications/factsheets-aquaculture-species/turbot_it.pdf