Scientific Name
Anarhichas lupus

Common Name
Atlantic wolffish

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).

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Wolffishes (Anarhichadidae)

Distribution

Region

Northeast Atlantic

Distribution

Northeast Atlantic: Spitsbergen southward to White Sea, Scandinavian coasts, North Sea, the British Isles, also Iceland and south-eastern coasts of Greenland. 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 (east to R?gen and Bornholm Islands), Bay of Biscay and northwestern Mediterranean (Gulf of Genoa) (Ref. 57932).

Range

79°N - 37°N, 75°W - 56°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

1 m

Depth To - meters

600 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 600 m (Ref. 58426), usually 18 - 110 m (Ref. 7135)

Trophic Level

3.24 s.e. 0.43 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

150 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5938 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

Vulnerability

High to very high vulnerability (67 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.04-0.1; tm=6-7; Fec=12,740-25,000)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated