wor.r-FiSH. 
243 
as well as in Norway and Sweden, this fish is not unfrequently 
brought to the market, where its flesh is said to be well 
esteemed, although its general aspect has but little to recom- 
mend it. 
The Wolf-fish is in fact a gigantic Shanny, with most of the 
characters of the latter greatly exaggerated. It does not permit 
itself indeed to be left exposed by the ebbing of the tide, 
nor does it seek shelter in the hole of a rock; but it possesses 
pugnacious habits of a formidable sort, and its power to 
display them renders it no despicable opponent. Its eagerness 
for food is great. Crabs are easily crushed and swallowed, 
it finds but little difficulty in breaking to pieces and swallowing 
the shells of shell-fish, or otherwise it swallows them whole. 
It is said that it has been known to lay hold of the anchor 
of a ship, and while the bite was with a grating sound, evident 
scratches on the iron were made by the teeth. It was a less 
efi'ort in the individual that was caught within our own 
knowledge, that it bit asunder a stick held to it, although as 
stout as a man’s finger; and therefore we need not question 
the accuracy of Lister when he tells us that in three examples 
he had known caught at Scarborough, the teeth were found 
broken through their substance. 
It swims with some rapidity, and resists with violence efforts 
that are made to catch it. Its time of spawning is in May 
and June. The people of Greenland employ its skin in forming 
bags and other useful articles. 
l)r. Fleming appears to limit the length of this fish to 
about three feet, but it is said on other authority that it 
sometimes reaches to more than twice that size. Fhe specimen 
we describe did not exceed two feet nine inches. The first 
half of the body stout and round, growing more slender and 
comnressed behind the vent. Belly prominent, and the vent 
at about the middle of the length. Head large, elevated, with 
a prominence on the top, the profile descending rather suddenly 
to the mouth; the lips fleshy, with furrows; teeth conical, 
irregular, loose in their attachment. Eyes at half of the 
distance between the top of the head and mouth; nostrils on 
a prominent process. Regular furrows diverging from the eye, 
and numerous wrinkles on the cheeks. The dorsal fin begins 
a little anterior to the root of the pectoral, the first rays 
