Turbot farming in Europe and China requires high-value production systems, with welfare challenges specific to flatfish physiology and intensive culture methods.
Turbot welfare is distinctively shaped by their flatfish biology. As benthic fish, their effective stocking density is determined by available floor space. Overcrowded turbot pile on top of each other, preventing normal resting and causing physical damage. Chronic crowding causes the pseudoalbinism stress response — a visible welfare indicator that makes chronic stress easy to assess. European production standards increasingly specify minimum floor area per fish, and this approach should be extended to Chinese production dominating global supply.