Reaching lengths of up to 2.5 metres and equipped with powerful jaws, wolf eels are one of the ocean's most formidable-looking animals.
Despite their name, these long, serpentine fish are not true eels but members of the wolffish family.
They can be found all along the west coast of North America and west to Russia and the Sea of Japan, spending most of their time in caves and cracks in the rocks, waiting for prey to pass by before striking.
They eat urchins and shellfish, particularly crabs – as proven by this dramatic video captured by a diver at Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island in Canada.
Divers lucky enough to spot a wolf eel often describe them as “curious, puppy-like creatures” – their strong jaws are built for crunching prey, but they are not dangerous to humans.
Top image: wolf eel filmed in 2013 at Telegraph Cove, British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Getty
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