Anarhichas

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Anarhichas
Anarhichas lupus 060417w.jpg
Atlantic Wolffish (A. lupus)
Anarhichas lupus skull Iles de la Madeleine.jpg
Skull of A. lupus showing strong dentition
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Anarhichadidae
Genus: Anarhichas
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Anarhichas lupus
Linnaeus, 1758 [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Lycichthys Gill, 1877

Anarhichas is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Anarhichadidae, the wolffishes or sea wolves. These fishes are found in the northern North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans.

Contents

Taxonomy

Anarhichas was first proposed as a genus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae when he described its type species A. lupus, from the "northern English Ocean". [1] [2] The genus is one of two genera in the family Anarhichadidae, which is classified within the order Scorpaeniformes in the suborder Zoarcoidei by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. [3] The genus name Anarhichas is an Ancient Greek name for the Atlantic wolffish (A. lupus) and means “the climber,” in turn derived from the Greek anarrhichesis which means, “to climb or scramble up” , this may be an allusion to the ancient belief that wolffishes left the water and climbed up on the rocks. [4]

Species

Anarhichas has four species classified within it: [5]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Northern Wolf Fish (Anarhichas denticulatus), Chessington Sealife Centre.jpg Anarhichas denticulatus Krøyer, 1845 (Northern wolffish)North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.
Anarhichas-lupus-Atlanterhavsparken.jpg Anarhichas lupus Linnaeus, 1758 (Atlantic wolffish)North Atlantic Ocean
Anarhichadidae Anarhichas minor 4.jpg Anarhichas minor Ólafsson, 1772 (Spotted wolffish)Arctic Ocean from north of Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula to the Scotian Shelf, off Nova Scotia, Canada.
Bering wolffish (Anarhichas orientalis) (15443592333).jpg Anarhichas orientalis Pallas, 1814 (Bering wolffish)Northeastern Pacific Ocean from Hokkaido to the Sea of Okhotsk, to Alaska.

Characteristics

Anarhichas wolfishes have a largely compressed and moderately elongate bodies. The long dorsal fin starts at the head and has between 69 and 88 spines. The anal fin contains between 42 and 55 soft rays. The caudal fin is separate from the other median fins. There is a single pair of nostrils. The scales, if present, are cycloid, tiny and do not overlap. There are well developed movement sensitive sensory canals on the head and as the fish ages the pores grow very large. There are 1 or 2 lateral lines made up of superficial neuromasts. [6] There are robust conical teeth in the front of the jaws and large molar-like teeth to the rear of those. [3] The longest published total length is 180 cm (71 in) in the Northern wolffish (A. denticulatus) and the spotted wolffish (A. minor) while the smallest species with a total length of 112 cm (44 in) is the Bering wolffish (A. orientalis). [5]

Distribution and habitat

Anarhichas wolfishes are found in the northern North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. They are demersal fishes occurring in shallow to moderately deep and cold seas. [5]

Fisheries

Anarhichas wolfishes are caught using bottom trawls, longlines and demersal seines. The landings are used for food, processed into fish oil and the skin can be used to make leather. [7] The species targeted are mainly the Atlantic wolffish and the spotted wolffish. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic wolffish</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic wolffish, also known as the seawolf, Atlantic catfish, ocean catfish, devil fish, wolf eel, woof or sea cat, is a marine fish of the wolffish family Anarhichadidae, native to the North Atlantic Ocean. The numbers of the Atlantic wolffish in US waters are rapidly being depleted, most likely due to overfishing and bycatch, and it is currently a Species of Concern according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anarhichadidae</span> Family of fishes

Anarhichadidae, the wolffishes, sea wolves or wolf eels, is a family of marine ray finned fishes belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes. These are predatory, eel shaped fishes which are native to the cold waters of the Arctic, North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pholidae</span> Family of fishes

Pholidae is a family of marine ray-finned fishes, known as gunnels, in the scorpaeniform suborder Zoarcoidei. These are fishes of the littoral zone and are mainly found in North Pacific Ocean, with two species found in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quillfish</span> Species of fish

The quillfish,, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, it is the only species in the genus Ptilichthys and family Ptilichthyidae. This fish occurs in the northern North Pacific Ocean.

<i>Bathymaster signatus</i> Species of fish

Bathymaster signatus, the searcher, is species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Bathymasteridae, the ronquils. This species is found in the northern Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf eel</span> Species of fish

The wolf eel is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Anarhichadidae, the wolf fishes. It is found in the North Pacific Ocean. Despite its common name and resemblance, it is not a true eel. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Anarrhichthys.

<i>Anarhichas minor</i> Species of fish

Anarhichas minor, the spotted wolffish, spotted sea cat or leopardfish, is a large marine fish of the family Anarhichadidae. This bottom-dwelling species is found across the North Atlantic and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean from north of Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula to the Scotian Shelf, off Nova Scotia, Canada. In Canada the population declined by about 90% from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, particularly in the northern part of its range. In Canada it is classified as a threatened species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern wolffish</span> Species of fish

The northern wolffish, also known as the blue sea cat or jelly cat, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Anarhichadidae, the wolf fishes. This species is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.

<i>Sebastolobus</i> Genus of fishes

Sebastolobus, the thornyheads, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. These fishes are native to the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean. They are generally found in deep waters.

<i>Cryptacanthodes</i> Genus of fishes

Cryptacanthodes is a genus of is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the monogeneric family Cryptacanthodidae, commonly referred to as wrymouths. Three of the four species are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species native to the western Atlantic Ocean where they are benthic fishes, tunneling through soft substrates. It is currently the only known genus in its family.

<i>Rathbunella</i> Genus of fishes

Rathbunella is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Bathymasteridae, the ronquils. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic thornyhead</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic thornyhead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The kelp gunnel is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Ulvicola. It is found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stichaeinae</span> Subfamily of fishes

Stichaeinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fishes, classified within the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are found in the North Pacific, Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.

The radiated shanny is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks and shannies. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Ulvaria. This fish is found in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Stichaeus</i> Genus of fish

Stichaeus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are mainly found in the North Pacific Ocean with one species in the Arctic and western North Atlantic Oceans.

Stichaeopsis is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are found in the western North Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic shanny</span>

The Arctic shanny is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks and shannies. This species occurs in the North Pacific, Arctic and western North Atlantic Oceans.

<i>Kasatkia</i> Genus of fishes

Kasatkia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are found in the North Pacific Ocean.

<i>Lycogrammoides</i>

Lycogrammoides is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Its only species is Lycogrammoides schmidti, a rare species of the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Anarhichadidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Anarhichas". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 478–482. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  4. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (4 July 2021). "Order Perciformes: Suborder Cottoidea: Infraorder Zoarcales: Families: Anarhichadidae, Neozoarcidae, Eulophias, Stichaeidae, Lumpenidae, Ophistocentridae, Pholidae, Ptilichthyidae, Zaproridae, Cryptacanthodidae, Cebidichthyidae, Scytalinidae and Bathymasteridae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2022). Species of Anarhichas in FishBase . February 2022 version.
  6. ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2022). "Anarhichadidae" in FishBase . February 2022 version.
  7. ↑ "Wolffish Species overview Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus)". Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Catherine W. Mecklenburg (2003). "Family Anarhichadidae Bonaparte 1846 wolffishes" (PDF). Annotated Checklist of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences (10). ISSN   1545-150X.
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