The Wolf Fish or Anarhichas lupus is at the southern edge of its range around the north-eastern coasts of the UK. In some areas it is known as the wolf eel, catfish or sea wolf. It can grow to over a metre in length and once mature, it adopts an unusual blue colour. Many guide books describe them as grey but I think this comes from observing them in fish markets or maybe in aquaria. Certainly when seen dead in a fish box the blue colour has gone.
The Wolf Fish is a powerful, elongated fish with a dorsal fin extending the whole length of its body. Its fearsome set of teeth are used for smashing up shellfish and sea urchins and the whole of the inside of the mouth is made up of grinding molars.
Despite its rather unfriendly appearance, it is a shy fish underwater and quite difficult to approach.The very best place to see them while diving is in the Marine Reserve off St. Abbs Head in Berwickshire and particularly at the sites known as the Black Carrs and the Skelly. Although they can occasionally be found in fairly shallow water, they are more frequently seen below 20m lying with their heads protruding from holes. A decent torch is very useful for spotting them as they usually withdraw into the hole as they are approached.
Caught commercially as by-catch and marketed in the north of Britain as Scotch Halibut and Scarborough Woof, the flesh is excellent quality. However, it is always sold skinned and beheaded for obvious reasons. The skin can be turned into a type of leather and is used for making small personal items such as wallets and purses.