FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



503 



KEY TO GULF OF MAINE AND NOVA 

 SCOTIAN WOLFFISHES 



1. Back and sides definitely black spotted on a pale 



ground; the bands of molar teeth in the roof of the 

 mouth are all of about equal lengths. 



Spotted wolffish, p. 507 



Back and sides plain colored or dark barred and 



blotched, but not definitely black-spotted; the 



central band of molar teeth in the roof of the mouth 



is longer than the bands that flank it 2 



2. The central band of molar teeth originates at about 



the same level as the bands on either side of it, but 

 it extends considerably farther rearward than they 

 do; the canine teeth are very large and prominent; 



the flesh is firm Wolffish, p. 503 



The central band of molar teeth originates consider- 

 ably in advance of the bands on either side of it, 

 but it terminates about even with them rearward; 

 the canine teeth are small, not very prominent; the 

 flesh is noticeably flabby when fresh-caught. 



Arctic wolffish, Anarhichas latifrons, 

 Steenstrup and Hallgrimsson. 



Wolffish Anarhichas lupus Linnaeus 1758 

 Catfish; Ocean whitefish 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2446. 



Description. — The wolffish suggests a huge 

 blenny in its general make-up, except that its 

 dorsal fin spines are flexible at their tips instead of 

 stiff; that it has no ventral fins; and that its mouth 

 is armed with a set of teeth more formidable than 

 those of any other Gulf of Maine fishes, except for 

 its relative, the spotted wolffish (p. 507), and for 

 some of the sharks. There is a row of about 6 very 

 large, stout, conical canine tusks with a cluster of 5 

 or 6 smaller canines behind them in the upper jaw; 

 and the roof of the mouth back of the latter is 

 armed with three series of crushing teeth. The 

 central series of these consists of a double row of 

 about 4 pairs of large rounded molars that are 



united into a solid plate; each of the outer series 

 consists of two alternating rows of blunt conical 

 teeth. In the common wolffish the central series, 

 which is the longest of the three, originates a very 

 little in advance of the outer series, and it extends 

 rearward noticeably farther. The lower jaw 

 has 4 to 6 large tusks in front, behind which are 

 two longitudinal diverging rows of rounded molars. 

 And the throat also is armed with small scattered 

 teeth. The great projecting tusks, rounded nose, 

 and small eyes give the wolf a singularly savage 

 aspect. 



The body is deepest close behind the head, 

 tapering back to a slender caudal peduncle and to 

 a small weak tail fin. The dorsal fin (69-77 

 spines) is about half as high as the head is long and 

 uniform in height from end to end except for its 

 rounded corners, and it extends from the nape of 

 the neck to the base of the caudal fin. The anal 

 fin (42-48 rays) is only about half as high as the 

 dorsal, and a little more than half as long; its rear 

 corner is angular. The pectoral fins are large and 

 rounded, and the caudal fin is slightly convex in 

 outline. 



Color. — Wolffishes are dull-colored, but they 

 vary widely in tint. The upper parts and the 

 dorsal fins of those taken off the Massachusetts 

 coast have been described as purplish brown and 

 we have seen them of this tint. But fish caught on 

 Georges Bank are invariably dull olive green, 

 according to Mr. Clapp, while they are described 

 as purplish, brownish, or bluish gray, or slate 

 colored in other seas. No doubt the color of the 

 wolf, like that of many other ground fish, varies 

 with that of its surroundings, purplish and brown 

 tints ruling among red seaweeds and olive gray on 

 clean bottom. Whatever its tint, its sides are 

 transversely barred with a variable number 

 (usually 10 or more) of irregular and broken 



Figure 265. — Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus), Georges Bank. From Goode. Drawing by H. L. Todd. 



