Anarhichadidae

Wolffishes
Atlantic wolffish, Anarhichas lupus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Anarhichadidae Bonaparte, 1846
Genera
Anarhichas Anarrhichthys See text for species.

The wolffishes are a family, Anarhichadidae, of perciform fishes. They are native to cold waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, where they live on the continental shelf and slope, to depths of about 600 m. They are bottom-feeders, eating hard-shelled invertebrates such as clams, echinoderms and crustaceans, which they crush with strong canine and molar teeth. The longest species, Anarrhichthys ocellatus, grows to 240 cm in length.

Species

There are five species in two genera:

• Genus Anarhichas
  • Northern wolffish, Anarhichas denticulatus Krøyer, 1845.
  • Atlantic wolffish, Anarhichas lupus Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Spotted wolffish, Anarhichas minor Olafsen, 1772.
  • Bering wolffish, Anarhichas orientalis Pallas, 1814.
• Genus Anarrhichthys
  • Wolf-eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus Ayres, 1855.

References

• "Anarhichadidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
• Anarhichadidae (TSN 171335). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 5 December 2004.

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