Anarhichadidae

Wolffish
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 wolffish are a family, Anarhichadidae, of perciform fish. 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 metres (2,000 ft). 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 more than 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length.

Species

There are five species in two genera:

Timeline of genera


References