Name: Wolf-eel
Scientific Name: Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Ayres, 1855)
Family: Anarhichadidae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 101-200 cm.
Juvenile wolf-eels live freely in the water column and are distinguished by their orange colouring with large dark blotches. The adults, grey in colour with similar markings on their eyes (ocellatus = eye), search for permanent cover in rocks or wrecks. Here, one frequently finds a male and a female that mate for life. They tenaciously protect their eggs and are so zealous that male or female will only leave the site alternately. By taking turns in their vigil, they can search for food. So long as other larger wolf-eels or giant octopus do not drive them out, these pairs will always remain in the same shelter.
Photo by:
Pedro Mendes
Wolf-eels
