THE WOLF FISH

by Ben McCarty

THE
WOLF FISH

Wolf fish are in the Anarhichadidae
family. There are nine species of wolf fish found in this family. They are
the largest fish in the suborder of blennies. Blennies are long fish that
are similar to eels in appearance. They date as far back as 50 million years
according to fossil discoveries. These are not bony fish; they have a cartilaginous
skeleton. The wolf fish lives in cold Arctic waters. They have fat heads
with a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. Their skin has no scales and
the dorsal fin on this fish runs the length of its body and has flexible
spines hut no soft rays. Some species, such as the Atlantic wolf fish, have
commercial value as a food fish. The Atlantic wolf fish is grayish brown
in color with dark bands and has a diet that includes starfish, mussels
and sea urchins. When eating its prey, this fish swallows the entire body,
shells and all. The prey is then thoroughly chewed with its strong teeth
to break it into digestible bits. Munching on armored prey is tough work
for wolf fish. However, a new set of teeth grows up from behind each year
to replace the worn ones. Powerful grinding teeth at the side of the jaws
are supplemented by fangs at the front, and strong cheek muscles are essential
when it comes to the crunch. Cod fishermen often find the Atlantic wolf
fish in their nets in large quantities When this occurs they use extreme
caution when handling, as it is known to suddenly attack anything even biting
through wood with its teeth. The fishermen usually remove the head before
it goes to market for fear that its ugliness will scare buyers away.

The wolf fish can reach lengths
of seven feet or longer but often averages around three feet in length.
In European countries this fish is often commonly called the catfish and
is very popular as a food fish. The wolf fish spends its time feeding along
the bottoms in deep waters. But when spring arrives, it will make small
migrations inland in preparation for the spawning season. Once they have
reached the spawning sight they hide under large rocks, or in deeper holes.
They build their nest in deeply depressed teas among the rocks near the
bottom. Once the eggs have been internally fertilized, the female wolf fish
will deposit her large yellow eggs on the rocky floor of the nesting site.
The male guards the eggs until they have hatched, while the female takes
very little interest after she has laid the eggs. The young larvae stay
close to the egg sac and remain near the nesting site feeding on plankton
for the remainder of the larval stage. The entire period from hatching to
the end of the larval stage will usually last around fourteen months or
longer They will then leave the nesting site swimming out to the deeper
waters to begin their adult lives.

Like most blennies, the wolf
fish depends more on sight than vibration or smell to locate its prey. With
their fang-like canine teeth, this is a scary fish to face in the water
or on the surface. Although it looks extremely fierce, it is not aggressive
unless provoked. Most wolf fish are found in the northern waters of both
the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with species including Anarhichas lupus,
which is the North Atlantic wolf fish, Anarhichas minor, which is the spotted
wolf fish, and Anarrhichthys ocellatus, which is often called the wolf eel.