Indian Halibut

Psettodes erumei, commonly known as the Indian halibut or adalah, is a species of flounder found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea to northern Australia.

Like other members of its family, it is regarded as one of the most primitive flatfish, having a thicker, less compressed body and a migrated eye that is at the edge of the head rather than fully on top.

The adalah differs from its relatives, such as Psettodes belcheri, by having spiny rays in front of the dorsal fins. It also has multiple stripes along the top of its body, which can range from slightly lighter than its main body colour to a pale white.

This species can reach a maximum length of up to 64 cm (25 in), with a typical size ranging from 18 cm (7 in) to 50 cm (20 in), making it the largest member of its family. The heaviest recorded specimen weighed 9,000 g. It feeds on small fish and aquatic animals found on sandy or muddy bottoms during the night and inhabits depths ranging from 1 m (3 ft) to 100 m (328 ft).

In Thailand, this halibut is considered an important economic species.

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