Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) is one of the most creepy-looking creatures in the sea. On the contrary to how it looks, wolffish is an amazingly affectionate fish. Although they make it look creepy, its teeth are so prominent. The fish uses them to dig into the sediment on the ocean floor for food and break the hard shells of crabs, urchins, clams, and more.
On the contrary to how it looks, wolffish is an amazingly affectionate fish
Wolffish lives both on the west and east coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. This fish is a benthic dweller, living on the hard ocean floor at around 2000 ft and frequently seen in nooks and small caves. Its system produces antifreeze to keep its blood moving fluidly. It needs it because it lives in water temperatures of −1 to 11 °C.
Wolffish pair up and fertilize the female’s eggs internally
Also, while most fish species “broadcast spawn” (with females releasing thousands of eggs into the water, and males competing to fertilize them externally), wolffish pair up and fertilize the female’s eggs internally, which means they mate much in the same way mammals mate. In addition to that, depending on the water temperature, the female incubates the eggs for four to nine months and then lays them in large clusters. After that, the male aggressively protects the eggs for about four months until they hatch.
