left handed halibut

[juandesooka]

Saw this article about a halibut derby in Alaska. Mentioned someone who "caught a left-handed halibut which means its eyes are on the left rather than the right."

I remember Hourston posting about this over the winter, and some people wondering about that. So there you go, now the phenomenon has a name.

http://homertribune.com/2011/06/really-big-fish-now-leads-halibut-derby/

Really big fish now leads Halibut Derby

By Randi Somers
Homer Tribune
Photo Provided - Chad Aldridge of Soldotna is the new Halibut Derby Leader with a 350.8 pounder caught June 19 while fishing from his own boat, the Seabee.

Photo Provided - Chad Aldridge of Soldotna is the new Halibut Derby Leader with a 350.8 pounder caught June 19 while fishing from his own boat, the Seabee.

Chad Aldridge of Soldotna went fishing for halibut aboard his boat, the Seabee June 19 and came back with the latest leader in the Jackpot Halibut Derby, a 350.8 pounder. Last week’s leader, Eileen Bechtol is now in second place, but remains the Lady Angler for June.
Current June standings:
First place: ($1000) Chad Aldridge 350.8.
Second place: ($750) Eileen Bechtol 277.8
Third place: ($500) Gil Seguin 226.8
Fourth place: ($450) Craig Matthews 151.6
Eileen Bechtol is this month’s Lady Angler.
Ten fish have been released in June and the total for the season is 18.
Hayden Price of Columbia, South Carolina caught a $500 tagged fish sponsored by Adventure Alaska Car Rentals June 11.
Patrick Campbell of Modesto Calif. caught a left-handed halibut May 29 which means its eyes are on the left rather than the right.

 

[PNW]

Similar, but somewhere around here I got a pic of a "twisted" halibut. One side of it was brown and white, with the other was also brown and whte. The eyes were on the correct side if I remember right, but it as if the tail had been "twisted" around in a 180degree way somewhere along its development, and it survived.

Eyes on the white side I've never seen as well as never seen an ALL brown on the port side/ALL white on the starboard side either. But have heard of both. Will try to find that pic of the "twisted" one.

[EDIT...]

 

[PNW]

Brown side of head on starboard side with eyes on starboard side. But also on starboard side is the white tail-half. Twisted is the best description, one would guess.

 

[Fish Assassin]

There are a number on Lefties out there. There guts are on the other side. Most would not notice this as we are sport fisherman and don't see it every day. When I longlined for the IPHC I seen a number of them at the cleaning trough. Never seen one like in that picture though. That is messed up. That is a half albino hali.

 

[Englishman]

That sure is one weird flatfish. Left and right handed flatfish are well known in various species and some are distributed by region. There is one flatfish (the starry flounder I think) which is all one sided down in California and all on the opposite side up in Alaska and Russia, with various mixes in between. That halibut is a normal "handedness" but something has gone wrong with the pigmentation. It cannot be albino or it would be lacking pigmentation entirely. Like this one:-

http://cgi.ebay.ch/1936-Famous-Albino-Halibut-Fish-Orig-Press-Photo-/290543140610

Or this turbot in the U.K.:-
http://www.fadedtribune.com/2010/12/rare-albino-turbot-fish-at-london-aquarium/

Somehow the mutant DNA has caused it to be half white and half pigmented on each side. That fish should have gone to an ichthyologist's lab!!

 

[Fish Assassin]

The hali we caught looked normal the guts and gill were just on the other side. It is normal. It is call a left handed hali.