Spotted Wolffish

Species at Risk Status: Threatened

Where do they live?

The bottom-dwelling spotted wolffish lives in the North Atlantic Ocean from the Labrador Shelf to the Scotian Shelf. On rare occasions they have been seen further north, in the Davis Strait. A predatory bottom-dweller, it is found mainly at depths of 200 to 750 metres. Spotted wolffish are found over all ocean-bottom types.

What do they look like?

The spotted wolffish gets its name from the leopard-like dark-brown spots that cover its yellowish-brown body, head, back, sides and dorsal fin. As with other wolffish, the spotted wolffish's dorsal fin extends from just behind the head to the tail. The spotted wolffish can reach lengths of approximately 150 centimetres and weights of around 23 kilograms.

What do they eat?

With its rounded snout and prominent, canine-like teeth in the front of its jaws, the spotted wolffish preys mainly on other bottom-dwelling creatures such as sea urchins, starfish, shellfish and molluscs. The wolffish also eats fish, worms, and sometimes even algae.

What is its life cycle?

Spotted wolffish grow relatively slowly. Little is known about the reproduction and early life history of this species.

Why is it at risk?

From the Grand Banks to the Labrador Shelf, spotted wolffish declined by about 90 per cent from the late 1970s through the early 1990s. While they are not a direct target of commercial fisheries, the spotted wolffish is often caught incidentally along with other fish such as Atlantic and northern wolffish. Fishing practices, such as the use of various fishing gear can disturb their habitat. The spotted wolffish also has some natural predators to contend with, including cod and the Greenland shark.

What's being done?

The spotted wolffish is protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). A combined recovery strategy is being developed under SARA for both the spotted and northern wolffish to improve status of the fish through improved understanding and management. A recovery team for the spotted and northern wolffish has been formed. A comprehensive research program initiated in 2001 is providing better understanding of the fish's biology and also of potential threats to its survival.