Cold Water
Wolf Eel
Anarrhichthys ocellatus · Bony fish, family Anarhichadidae (wolffishes); an elongated wolffish, not a true eel
Wolf-eels are the gargoyles of the Pacific Northwest (huge gray heads, swollen jowls, teeth like broken crockery) and among its gentlest residents. Not true eels but elongated wolffishes, they pair long-term and share a den, sometimes two faces stacked in one crevice watching the water column go by. The crushing dentition is for urchins, crabs, and clams; divers get curiosity instead, and pairs at well-known dens will ease halfway out to inspect visitors. Juveniles look like a different species, burnt orange with a purple sheen, swimming open water before settling into rock. The old practice of hand-feeding urchins to resident pairs has faded for good reason: fed animals lose caution, and teeth meet fingers by accident. Come in low and off to one side, and let a swimming wolf-eel pass; it is likely commuting between dens.
Dónde y cuándo ver uno
"Residente" significa que la mayoría de las inmersiones en ese destino tienen encuentros con ellos; "estacional" significa que su presencia es fiable en los meses indicados; cualquier otra cosa es un extra, no algo con lo que contar.
| Destino | Fiabilidad | Meses | Notas |
|---|---|---|---|
| British ColumbiaCanada | Resident: seen on most dives | Todo el año |
El mejor mes, de un vistazo
| Mes | Destinos fiables |
|---|---|
| January | British Columbia |
| February | British Columbia |
| March | British Columbia |
| April | British Columbia |
| May | British Columbia |
| June | British Columbia |
| July | British Columbia |
| August | British Columbia |
| September | British Columbia |
| October | British Columbia |
| November | British Columbia |
| December | British Columbia |
Comprendiéndolos
Hábitat: Rocky reef dens, wrecks, and boulder jumbles; established pairs keep the same crevice for years, at depths divers visit and far below.
Rango: North Pacific: from southern California through British Columbia and Alaska to the Sea of Japan.
Comportamiento: Pairs share a den long-term, often with both heads visible at the entrance; juveniles are orange with a purple sheen and swim open water before settling. Resident pairs grow tolerant of familiar divers.
Dieta: Sea urchins, crabs, clams, and snails crushed with heavy molar-like teeth and powerful jaws.
Tamaño: normalmente alrededor de 1.8 m; documentado hasta 2.4 m (total length).
Cómo comportarse cerca de uno
Approach a den low and slightly to one side, skip the old urchin hand-feeding routine entirely, and give a free-swimming animal the lane: it is commuting, not fleeing.
Conservación
Not a fishery target and not considered broadly threatened; den fidelity makes known pairs locally precious and easy to disturb.
Puntos conocidos por avistamientos
Los puntos destacados fueron registrados para esta especie por nuestros editores; los números son registros de ocurrencia de GBIF anotados en un radio de unos 5 km de un punto desde 1990.
Ver
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