Wolf Eel
Anarrhichthys ocellatus

With its fierce looking face and long body you can see how the wolf-eel got its name. Wolf-eels are not actually true eels, but classified in the family Anarhichadidae with other "wolffishes".

The wolf-eel lives in the Pacific Northwest and makes its home on rocky reefs or stony bottom shelves at shallow and moderate depths. They will usually stake out a territory in a crevice, den or lair in the rocks. Their long, slender, tapering bodies allow them to squeeze into their rocky homes. The longest recorded length wolf-eel is 2.4 metres (8 feet)!

Wolf-eels have extremely strong, crushing jaws with thick spike-like front teeth and flat, massive molars in the back. This impressive mouth is great for crushing their favourite food, hard-shelled animals such as, snails, clams, crabs, and sea urchins.

Wolf-eels may look menacing, but they are really quite friendly creatures. Some lucky scuba divers can lure a wolf-eel out of their lair with food, usually sea urchins, and these tameable fish will gently feed from the diver's hands!


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