Seawolf (fish)
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[Photo] Anarhichas lupus (on Faroese stamp). Fish in Faroese Water: Anarhichas lupus . Stamp FR 83 of the Faroe Islands. Date of issue: 19 September 1983
The Seawolf (Anarhichas lupus), also known as the Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic catfish, wolf eel, or sea cat, is a marine fish, the largest of the family Anarhichadidae. In spite of its large size (the largest specimen caught being 150 cm long and weighing almost 24 kg), it has retained the bodily form and general external characteristics of the small blennies. 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. 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, the pelvic fins entirely absent.
Its dentition distinguishes the seawolf from all the other members of the family. Both jaws are armed in front with strong conical teeth, and on the sides with two series of large tubular molars, a biserial band of similar molars occupying the middle of the palate. By these teeth the seawolf is able to crush the hard carapaces or shells of the crustaceans and molluscs on which it feeds; The rocks between which it hides are usually strewn about with the broken shells of its prey. That it uses the teeth as a weapon of defence and deserves the character of ferocity generally attributed to it would appear to be rather questionable. The teeth wear down because of excessive grinding, so a new set grows in annually. In the interim, however, it is supposed that the fish will fast for months while it waits for the new teeth to grow in.
Seawolves 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. They typically attain a length exceeding two meters, and in the north are esteemed as food, both fresh and preserved. They are marketed as "Scotch Halibut" and "Scarborough Woof" and are a popular ingredient in fish and chips. The oil extracted from the liver is said to be equal in quality to the best cod liver oil.
In Icelandic, the Seawolf is called Steinbitur, which literally translates to "stone biter".
Trivia
Several ships and the US Navy Seawolf class submarine are named for this fish.
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