lies on the deeper sandy seabed

Size
Length: 40–60 cm, Weight: 1–3 kg
Lifespan
10–15 years
Diet
Small fish, crustaceans and worms. Lives on sandy and gravelly bottoms from 20–100 metres depth. A deepwater flatfish, preferring deeper, cleaner water beyond the surf zone.
Habitat
Sandy and gravelly bottoms from 20 metres down to 100 metres. Less common in the shallows than flounder or sole, preferring the deeper, cleaner water beyond the surf zone.
Range
Around the North and South Islands on sandy and gravelly bottoms from 20–100 metres depth. Most common in deeper water off the east coast of both islands.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Commercial bottom trawling is the primary threat, with bycatch in the flatfish fishery. Habitat loss from bottom trawling damaging sandy habitats. Climate change affecting water temperature.
Population
Not Threatened, though rarely caught by recreational anglers because they live in deeper water. A commercial bycatch species, often appearing in bottom trawl nets alongside gurnard and tarakihi.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
native brill, handle with wet hands to protect slime
Conservation Note
Endemic marine fish; not assessed by NZTCS as marine fish are outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
The Brill did not have a distinct Māori name. This is likely because it lives in deeper water. It was less accessible to traditional fisheries. European settlers named it for its resemblance to the European brill. This is a similar flatfish found in the North Atlantic. Today it is the flatfish that chefs get excited about. It is the one that looks like a flounder but eats like a dream. Its culinary status exceeds its cultural footprint. It remains a prize of modern gastronomy rather than traditional harvest.
The elegant cousin of the flounder. It shares the same flattened, sideways-swimming body. But it is wider, rounder and more symmetrical. Mottled sandy brown with darker blotches marks the skin. A distinctive wavy pattern of pale lines runs across the back. The fins are edged with pale creamy yellow. It is a flounder dressed up for a nice dinner. It is an ambush predator with a lazy streak. Brill bury themselves in sand or gravel. They leave only their eyes exposed. They wait for small fish or crabs to swim past. The mouth is larger than a flounder's. It is capable of swallowing surprisingly big prey. It does not chase. It waits. It is slower-growing than flounder. It takes several years to reach breeding size. That is the trade-off. Elegance comes at a cost. A flatfish that looks good and grows slowly is a flatfish that is vulnerable. It has a reputation among chefs as the best-eating flatfish in New Zealand. The flesh is firm, white, and sweet. It has a delicate flake that holds together in the pan. It is almost completely boneless. This makes it a favourite for fillets. It is a fish that restaurants want. Home cooks struggle to find it. The Maori name is not separately recorded. Brill was likely grouped with other flatfish. It was noticed but not named separately. That is the fate of the less common ones. They get overlooked. To eat a brill is to eat the fancy flatfish. It is the one ordered at a restaurant when trying to impress someone. Or it is the one kept for oneself when finding one in the net. It is the flatfish that chefs get excited about. The one that looks like a flounder but eats like a dream. That is the brill. Elegant, slow-growing, and delicious. A flatfish that demands respect in the kitchen. It delivers flavour on the plate. It carries on.