lastvast.blogg.se - Deep sea wolf eel

The wolffish’s Latin name, Anarhichas lupus, describes this fish as lupus (“like a wolf”) due to its very obvious and protruding teeth. This marine reserve is now part of the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Special Area of Conservation-one of the largest marine conservation areas in Europe. I was instrumental in founding the first marine reserve in Scotland at Eyemouth, and around ten years later, co-founded the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (now renamed the Berwickshire Marine Reserve). The wolffish is perhaps the most iconic of all the marine fish to be found within the Berwickshire Marine Reserve, located in the southeast of Scotland. The body length is around 1.5m (5ft), and the head is in proportion to the rest of the body. This wolffish species is commercially raised by fish farms in the United States and Canada, which appears to be fairly successful as a percentage are being reintroduced into the wild. I am not sure about these sightings as they appear quite far south, but like all animals and fish, they then turn up when and where you least expect them. There have apparently been a couple of sightings recorded off southeastern Scotland and northwestern Ireland. This species is located off northern Russia and the Scandinavian coast, all the way to the Scotian Shelf off Nova Scotia. Spotted wolffish or leopardfish ( Anarhichas minor) It only grows to 144cm (4.7ft) long and weighs around 20 kilos.Īnarhichas minor, Nova Scotia, Canada. The head of this species is small compared to the rest of its body, which is quite rotund.

It is very occasionally found in the North Sea, but surprisingly it is also found in deep waters in the Bay of Biscay. Northern wolffish ( Anarhichas denticulatus)Īlso known as the broadhead wolffish, bull-headed catfish, or catfish, this species is confined to the North Atlantic from Spitsbergen, and Scandinavia, south to the Faroe Islands and Shetlands, Greenland and southwest to Sable Island off Nova Scotia and the Grand Banks. Usually over 2m long (6.5ft), the rear portion is quite tapered. Their lips were very pronounced around their elongated teeth. The males were a steely grey and the females a dull brown. This large species is found in the northern Pacific, and I encountered this species at eastern Vancouver Island around Nanaimo.

On average, sports fishermen catch around 200 wolf eels per year.Wolf eel pair, Anarrhichthys ocellatus, Vancouver Island. Sportsmen also enjoy hunting the fish because of its large size and fearsome appearance. Even though there is no wolf eel industry, fishermen target the fish for its delicate white flesh.

Wolf Eels are popular targets among hunters Non-commercial fishermen frequently hunt wolf eels, both legally and illegally.

And trawler nets sweeping through reefs destroy coral habitats. The crab and octopus industries have depleted wolf eel habitats of the eel’s primary food sources. Thus, it is common for wolf eels to become trapped in crab traps while hunting. Wolf eels feed on crustaceans, such as crabs.

Commercial fishing deprives wolf eels of food and habitats Even though there is no commercial industry for fishing wolf eels, they are still hurt by the commercial crabbing industry.

Wolf eels are not considered an endangered species. However, their population has likely been declining for several years. Commercial fisheries do not target wolf eels, but human activity has been hurting the wolf eel population for decades.