Seawolf

[Johnnny]

:canada: I learned about these guys when i was working at alice arm off the BC coast line. Pretty awesome fish species, its a shame they are at risk.

Seawolf (fish) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In spite of its large size the Atlantic wolffish has retained the bodily form and general external characteristics of small blennies (Blennioidei). The largest specimen recorded measured 150 cm (almost 5 ft) long and weighed almost 18 kg (40 lbs)[3] Its body is long, subcylindrical in front, compressed in the caudal portion, smooth and slippery, the rudimentary scales being embedded and almost hidden in the skin. Atlantic wolffish vary in color, usually seen as purplish-brown, a dull olive green, or blueish gray.[4] An even dorsal fin extends the whole length of the back, and a similar fin from the vent to the caudal fin, as in blennies. The pectorals are large and rounded and the pelvic fins are entirely absent. Its obtuse eel-like body type makes the fish swim slowly, undulating from side to side, like an eel

The Atlantic wolffish inhabit both the West and East coasts of the Atlantic. The are seen as far north as the Davis Strait, of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, populating the shores of Greenland and Nova Scotia, extending down as far as Cape Cod. Although they are seldom seen south of Cape Cod, there have been sitings in New Jersey. The most dense populations of wolffish are in Georges Bank, the Gulf of Maine and the Great South Channel.

Atlantic wolffish are inhabitants of the northern seas of both hemispheres, being common on the coasts of Scandinavia and North Britain, and also in the seas around Iceland and Greenland. Two related species occur in the corresponding latitudes of the North Pacific Ocean. In the north they are esteemed as food, both fresh and preserved. They are marketed as "Scotch Halibut" and "Scarborough Woof", or, simply "Woof" in other areas of the North East coast, and are a popular ingredient in fish and chips

According to scientific data, the Atlantic wolffish's population has decreased drastically due to overfishing and by-catch. Bottom trawling vessels also disrupt the wolffish's rocky underwater habitat when they drag large nets across the ocean floor, with heavy weights holding the nets to the ocean bottom. The nets are indiscriminate in what they catch and the heavy weights and nets are harmful to the benthic terrain and its inhabitants. Recreational fishing has also threatened the survival of the Atlantic wolffish

 

[darkbeaver]

Ugly but tasty. Too bad about the failing stocks.