They are also found in Russia, Aleutian Islands of Japan, Islands of Racerocks (near the Rosedale Reef), and Imperial Beach of Southern California. They are found in the Pacific coast from North Baja of California to Kodiak Island in Alaska.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE WOLF EEL It is the Pacific relative of the popular Atlantic Wolf Fish. Wolf Eel is one of the five species of the endangered Wolf Fish family. Anarrhichthys in Greek means ‘a fish’ and ocellatus stands for ‘eye like spots’. It is in fact, a fish with the face of a wolf and the body of an Eel. Wolf Eel or Anarrhichthys Ocellatus, is neither a wolf nor an eel. The fish simply snapped the handle in half.Check out our Astoria Fishing Charters and Washington Halibut Charters He pried the wolf-eel’s mouth open and inserted a small narrow broom handle to keep it open. An angler had caught a medium-sized fish and wanted to save his leader that was imbedded deeply in the mouth of the fish. The flesh can be filleted or steaked and cooked in almost any manner although poaching and steaming is a favorite.Ĭomments : I saw the power of a wolf-eel’s mouth once when I was fishing at the old Moss Landing Pier. To land one, use a heavy size 2 to 2/0 hook and heavy line (20- to 40-pound test) or even a wire leader.įood Value: Delicious mild flavored flesh that is white in color and dense in texture. Because of their strength and habit of retreating to rocks as soon as hooked, most that are hooked are probably not landed. Shoreline: Taken by anglers fishing in rocky areas in central and northern California.īoats: An inshore species rarely take from boats.īait and Tackle :Wolf-eels will hit almost any bait but I’ve seen them caught most often on shrimp, small crabs, mussels, abalone or on anchovy. Best bets: Port San Luis Pier, Cayucos Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Fort Baker Pier, Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier, and Citizens Dock in Crescent City. Piers : Not common at any pier but a few are taken every year from piers in central and northern California that are located near rocks or reefs. Found in deeper water south of Point Conception, in shallow water near rocks and kelp north of Point Conception. Habitat : Found in intertidal waters to a depth of 1,036 feet. Uncommon but not rare south of Point Conception. Common from Central California to Gulf of Alaska. Also reported from the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. Range: Northern Baja California, to Gulf of Alaska, southeastern Bering Sea to Cape Menshikof, west along the Aleutians Islands to the Krenitzen Islands. Pier-caught wolf-eels are rarely more than 2-3 feet long. Size : To 79.9 inches although there are rumors of eight-foot wolf-eels. Related to the blennies it is not an eel. Their coloring is green to gray with round dark spots on the dorsal fins and body. Identification :The body is long and eel-shaped the mouth is large and filled with large, canine-like, teeth. Called doctorfish in Alaska, lo’l, lo’ox, or st’aaxaam in British Columbia. Specie s: Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Ayres, 1855) from the Greek word anar-hichas (an ancient name for a fish which resembled this species) and the Latin word ocellatus (eye-like spots).Īlternate Names :Moray eel. Picture courtesy Outdoor Writers Association of California

Wolf eel skeleton