Anarhichas lupus Linnaeus, 1758
Atlantic wolffish
Atlantic wolffish,  Ocean whitefish,  Wolffish
Anarhichas lupus
photo by Salesjö, A.

Family:  Anarhichadidae (Wolffishes)
Max. size:  150 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 24 kg
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 1 - 600 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Northeast Atlantic: Spitsbergen southward to White Sea, Scandinavian coasts, North Sea, the British Isles, to the Northen part of Bay of Biscaye, also Iceland and south-eastern coasts of Greenland (Ref.. 57932). Northwest Atlantic: southern Labrador in Canada and western Greenland to Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA; rarely to New Jersey, USA (Ref. 7251). Elsewhere in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean from Ref. 57932 should be regarded as questionable, as stray at most, until original reports are cheked (see Ref. 119696).
Diagnosis:  Ground color usually greyish-green but almost black or reddish -brown. Body with 10-15 transverse, dark bars extended to the dorsal fin (Ref. 35388).
Biology:  Inhabit rocky bottoms, sometimes over sand or mud, from 1-500 m (Ref. 9988). Benthic (Ref. 58426). Feeds on fishes (Ref. 58426), hard-shelled mollusks, crabs, lobsters, sea urchins and other echinoderms. Solitary in habit (Ref. 9988). Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Continental shelf waters off the northeastern United States (Ref.37512).


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