This is a bottom dweller with a serious bite. Found throughout the North Atlantic, the wolf-fish takes both its common name and Latin name (lupus) from its prominent, canine-like teeth.
They are wielded by incredibly powerful jaws, set into a hard, bony skull, that are perfect for crushing the molluscs and crustaceans on which they feed. In Iceland and parts of Scandinavia they are named ‘stone biters’, so revered is their power.
The long, almost eel-like body is tapered and smooth, with a dorsal fin that runs for almost the entire length of the back. They are dark brown-blue in colour, with dark bands along the side of the body.
- Massive eel-like fish filmed in the Salish Sea. These giants can grow longer than a park bench
- "its enormous jaws can expand dramatically, creating a balloon-like head..." 10 weirdest, eeriest eels on the planet, including one that generates a deadly 600 volts
The large, fan-shaped pectorals assist with stability on the rocky sea floor where they frequent, and their blood contains a protein that acts as an antifreeze, allowing the fish to survive in chillingly cold water. Growing to a length of 1.5 metres, the wolf-fish has few natural predators as an adult, although overfishing has seen its population decline in some areas.
The wolf-fish typically remains close to or on the sea floor, often hiding in caves or crevices. They rarely eat other fish, meaning they do not need to rely on speed or agility to hunt. Their choice of diet is also important for ecological balance, with species such as green crab or sea urchin, commonly eaten by wolf-fish, potentially damaging when present in large number or where they are invasive.
- It looks like a pig – but this is no ordinary pig. It lives 3 miles down in the ocean, crawling along the sea floor using weird, inflatable legs
- At the bottom of the Indian Ocean a deep sea robot discovered something huge and truly incredible
Although normally shy when approached underwater, there are one or two unfortunate fishers who will vouch for the power of a wolf-fish’s jaw. They bite in defence, with the 4 to 6 fang-like teeth at the front of the mouth delivering the most severe damage. The snapping, reflex response of the jaw can even be triggered when the fish is dead.
Discover more wildlife stories from around the world:
- It’s 3 metres long, shaped like a scythe and used to whip and stun prey – this is the longest tail on the planet
- "Buried on ocean’s floor lies a flat, pancake-like lethal predator that's bigger than a king-sized bed and perfectly designed for deadly, ambush attacks"
- It's longer than a shipping container, has a metre-wide mouth and a dorsal fin the length of a baseball bat: 9 biggest, most gigantic sharks on the planet
