Having a Face Only a Mother Could Love, this Master Predator (believe it or not) Mates for Life. Meet the Wolf Eel [Amazing Creatures of the Deep]

I was preparing another post, but I accidentally bumped into these gorgeous 😊 creatures and I could not help sharing a few facts about their appearance and most of all their mating & parenting behavior.

The predator Wolf Eel

The Wolf Eel (official name: Anarrhichtys Ocellatus) are fascinating creatures, master predators and caring parents. They have most of the eels’ characteristics, except that they also have a pectoral fin on each side of their body (which true eels do not have). They actually belong to a fish group with the name “Perciform Fishes”. They look more like a long eel-like fish, and if you only see their face, you will surely be confused.

Where do Wolf Eels live?

Wolf eels are found in caves and rocky reefs and you may meet them in shallow water to a depth of 226 meters. They live in the North Pacific along North America’s coast, all the way from southern Alaska to California.

What do Wolf Eels eat?

Wolf eels feed on mussels, clams, sea urchins (!) and occasionally fish. Their strong jaws will simply crash any prey comes their way when they are hungry.

How do Wolf Eels look?

The body of the male wolf eels is mostly gray, while the female have a brownish color. The younger eels usually are orange with darker stripes.

_source

How big do the Wolf Eels get?

The wolf eels may reach up to 204.3 cm and yes, this is 2 meters and 4.3 centimeters! (or 7ft 10 in), not to mention 18.4 (41 lb) in weight! They can live up to 25 years.

Are they dangerous to humans?

The Wolf Eels are generally curious and feeding them is a popular activity amongst divers. However they may become irritated and are capable of inflicting painful bites to divers. Would you dare feed them? : )

Spawning Behavior:

The wolf eels form pairs at 4 years old and their spawning time of year is from October to late winter. The females lay up to 10.000 eggs and both the parents protect the developing eggs by curling their bodies around them. Indeed they take turns protecting them and at times it has been observed that the male can curl around the female that is curled around their eggs. It’s nice to cuddle in the cold waters, isn’t it?

We should mention that at most cases, the female usually share their den with her mate and apparently they mate for life.

Male and Female wolf eel cuddling in their ned

It takes four months for their eggs to hatch. After the youngsters are hatched they are left on their own to swim in the ocean until they mature and settle in a den.

Who would have believed that this eel-like fish with the menacing face, can actually have a partner for his whole life and protect their offspring as caring as they do?

There’s still a lot to find out about these creatures and perhaps the future hides insights regarding even more complex behavior!

• Author’s note: And then you wander why some people just won’t swim if their feet can’t touch the bottom!

• Author's query: Would you dare dive into the cold waters and discover this and many other beautiful creatures? Would you prefer a next post about a deadly predator or about a sweet and loving animal?

• Author's suggestion: Do take sometime and check out this youtube video with sound on. The narrator is fantastic!

Wolf Eel's note: "I'm watching you"

Source: Wikipedia
Source: Marine Species with Aquacultrue Potential
Source: Owlcation
Source : fishbase.se
Source : Untamed Science

Image sources: Jackiehildering Wikipedia YouTube

Gif Sources YouTube and giphy

I really hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did :)
Thank you for stopping by!
Katerina

You may be interested also in @trumpman story Octopus Chokes Dolphin or Trolls around the solar system by @ruthgirl or learning more about less intimidating eels at ribbon-ell: a secretive creature that can simply change his sex and mate