Wolffish: What you need to know

Wolffish: What you need to know (PDF, 1.46 MB)

Three species of wolffish, often called catfish, are now protected under the Canada's Strategy - Species at Risk Act (SARA). As a group, they are easy to recognize due to their unique appearance, but it is more difficult to distinguish the three species.

Under SARA, they are listed as:

Northern Wolffish Threatened
likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction
Spotted Wolffish Threatened
likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction
Atlantic or Striped Wolffish Special concern
a wildlife species that may become a threatened or endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats

Their status under SARA dictates the manner in which they are protected, and how they are to be handled when captured accidentally. This identification card can help you identify wolffish when caught as bycatch.

Like all animals, wolffish play an important role in the ecosystem of the ocean, and their survival depends on all of us. Releasing wolffish with care in the place where they were caught will help their populations recover.

Abundances of all three wolffish species have declined off eastern Canada during the past 20 years. Threats to wolffish include bycatch mortality in commercial fisheries and disturbance of their marine habitat.