A fishmonger took delivery of this huge six-foot halibut tipping the scales at 121kg, the equivalent to almost 20 stones. The catch of the day was brought by fishmonger Clare Welch, in Edinburgh, and it took four people to lift.
It was caught in the North Sea on Monday and taken to Peterhead in northern Scotland where Clare purchased the fish at market. The halibut was then transported to Welch Fishmongers on Tuesday where it will be divided into 450 portions.
Fishmonger Jimmy Mac, who is about 5ft 10in, was pictured alongside the whopper to display the sheer size of the sea creature. The portions will now be delivered to restaurants around the Scottish capital, as well as sold in the shop.
Clare, whose family owns the business, said: “It’s the biggest halibut I have ever seen come in. It’s quite a feat to think about how they even got a fish that size on the boat.
“It was caught in the North Sea and landed in Peterhead on Monday. Everyone was so impressed and excited by it – it was amazing to see one that size. It took four guys to get it up on the bench and they were knackered after it.
“With a big fish like that you are never sure how to tackle it so we all had a discussion to see how best to fillet it."
Halibut live at depths ranging from a few meters to hundreds of meters, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, but may move further towards the surface to feed. It is the largest flatfish in the world, reaching lengths of up to 4.7 m (15 ft) and weights of 320 kg (710 lb). Its lifespan can reach 50 years.
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