The brill, Scophthalmus rhombus, is a species of flatfish in the turbot family (Scophthalmidae) of the order Pleuronectiformes. Brill can be found in the northeast Atlantic, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean, primarily in deeper offshore waters. Brill are usually in shallow waters or below 100 meters at seafloor. Brill prefers to live on the surface that is either sandy or muddy depending on where they are.
Brill have slender bodies, brown covered with lighter and darker coloured flecks, excluding the tailfin; the underside of the fish is usually cream coloured or pinkish white. Like other flatfish the brill has the ability to match its colour to the surroundings. The Brill average lifespan is 6 years and they weigh up to and can reach a length of , but are less than half that on average. Part of the dorsal fin of the fish is not connected to the fin membrane, giving the fish a frilly appearance. They are sometimes confused with the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), which is more diamond-shaped. The two species are related and can produce hybrids. On the west coast of Canada (outside the range of Scophthalmus rhombus) local fisherman refer to the petrale sole, Eopsetta jordani, as brill. The flesh is lighter in texture, more friable - even "floury" - and considerably less rich in flavour than the turbot, which is preferred by chefs.:fr:Scophthalmus rhombus
Name in other languages + Brill Language Name Galician Coruxo French Barbue Italian Rombo Liscio Catalan Rèmol Croatian Romb Danish Slethvar Dutch Griet Polish Nagład Swedish Slätvar Norwegian Slettvar German Glattbutt Romanian Calcan Greek Καλκάνι (Calcani) Māori Patikinui Portuguese Rodovalho Slovene Gladki romb Spanish Rombo Turkish Kalkan Finnish Silokampela Ukrainian Калкан гладенький Estonian Sile kammeljas Lithuanian Uotas
Sources Scophthalmus rhombus Marine Life Encyclopedia
References
External links
Brill, in "What Am I Eating?" (a food dictionary)