Wolffishes or sea wolves Northern, Atlantic, Spotted, Bering
In the cold waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, very toothy fish live - wolffish, several species of fish similar to each other. Wolffish is a commercial fish that ordinary fishermen also like to catch. What kind of fish is wolffish and we will answer the most popular questions.
Content
- What are the three types of wolffish?
- What does wolffish look like?
- What does wolffish eat?
- Catching wolffish in the sea
- Is wolffish good to eat?
- What does Spotted wolffish taste like?
What are the three types of wolffish?
In fact, there are not three but four species of wolffish, three species of wolffish live in the Atlantic and one species in the Pacific Ocean.
Atlantic wolffish, Latin name Anarhichas lupus, lives in the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the surrounding seas - the North, Norwegian, Baltic, Barents and White Seas.
The Spotted wolffish has a Latin name Anarhichas minor, its habitat covers the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, and is found in the Barents and Norwegian seas.
The Northern wolffish has a Latin name Anarhichas denticulatus, its habitat coincides with the range of the Spotted wolffish.
Bering wolffish, Latin name Anarhichas orientalis, lives in the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean.
What does wolffish look like?
Wolffish is a large fish of the Barents Sea. The maximum body length of a wolffish is 180 cm, and its weight is 27.9 kg.
The tuberculate teeth of the Spotted wolffish are less developed than those of the Atlantic wolffish. The vomer teeth do not protrude backward beyond the palatine rows.
The fry of the Spotted wolffish have wide black transverse stripes on their bodies. When the fry switch to living on the bottom, the stripes break up into separate spots; these spots are well separated from each other, and are grouped into stripes not nearly as clearly as in the Atlantic wolffish.
What does wolffish eat?
The wolffish lives at depths from 20 to 435 m; it usually prefers to stay above rocky ground. The wolffish leads a solitary lifestyle. It feeds on mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans and fish.
Catching wolffish in the sea
In the Barents Sea you can catch Atlantic wolffish, this scary-looking fish is not called that for nothing, it really has sharp teeth, and is very strong and feisty. The teeth are adapted to crush and grind mollusks and starfish, which it feeds on. You must remove it from the hook very carefully and pin it immediately. Wolffish is not a large fish, at least according to my grandfather, a fisherman, he never caught more than 2 kilograms. The wolffish is a solitary fish, and it is difficult to catch several in one place. The wolffish fish is very tasty and fatty, but it’s just small in size; we never came across more than 1 kg.
Is wolffish good to eat?
Like most inhabitants of the seas and oceans, sea wolf meat, fat and caviar consist of a huge number of useful components. In first place, of course, is the most valuable fish oil, which contains polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. In addition, wolffish contains glutamic, aspartic, lysic amino acids, pantothenic and nicotinic acids, which are also important for the normal functioning of the human body.
Wolffish meat contains many beneficial macroelements that are essential for health. So, 100 grams of the finished product contains 335 mg of potassium, 180 mg of phosphorus, 190 mg of sulfur, 165 mg of chlorine, 100 mg of sodium and about 3-35 mg of calcium and magnesium.
This wonderful fish is also rich in numerous natural microelements, which play an invaluable role in stabilizing chemical reactions in the human body. Wolffish meat is a “supplier” of fluorine, iron, iodine, copper, manganese, chromium, zinc, nickel and some other useful trace elements.
The vitamin complex included in wolffish is quite large and consists of groups of vitamins that are of paramount importance for humans. Vitamins A, C, D and E, vitamins B and PP, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine. In a word, a gift to the immune system, not a fish!
What does Spotted wolffish taste like?
Wolffish meat should be white, slightly transparent with fat, and oily to the touch. Wolffish meat has a bright taste and delicate texture.