Holibut, Pleuronectes Hippoglossus
1803
Edward Donovan’s 1803 illustration of the 'Holibut' (an archaic spelling of halibut) captures the bizarre anatomy of flatfish with scientific precision. Notice how both eyes are crowded onto the right side of the head—a result of a metamorphosis where the fish's left eye literally migrates across its skull as it matures from a swimming larva to a bottom-dweller. Donovan was a prolific Irish naturalist who produced massive multi-volume works on British natural history, aiming to document species with meticulous detail before photography existed. The delicate rendering of the spiky fins and textured skin shows the patience required for these early encyclopedic efforts.
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