Fish
Atlantic wolfish
Anarhichas lupus
(Va) Icelandic Waters
Fishing zone
Wild
Origin
55 cm
Minimum size
Description
The Atlantic wolfish has an elongated, almost serpentine body and large, fan-shaped pectoral fins. With eyes set close together on a muzzle that resembles that of a cat, its head is chubby, and its lips are thick and distinctly defined. Its color ranges from slate blue to olive green, passing through purplish brown. Its maximum known length is 1.50 m, with a maximum weight of 18 kg.
Habitat
It is a marine, demersal, and pelagic species. It lives primarily on rocky, and sometimes sandy or muddy, bottoms. It can be found at depths ranging from 1 to 600 meters, generally between 18 and 110 meters; it has been observed as deep as 918 meters.
Distribution
This fish is found on both sides of the North Atlantic. Along the European coast, it is found in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Spitsbergen, the White Sea, and the Murman Coast, extending southward to the west coast of France and the Iberian Peninsula.