7 minute read
Wolf Eels | PERSONALITY TO SPARE
from Summer Fjord 2024
by Imagination
Text and images: Thom RobbinsGet any group of divers together in the Pacific Northwest and ask them what makes for a great dive. Everyone will agree that a wolf eel was somehow involved. There is something unique about the supremely ugly faces of an adult wolf eel staring at you from its den. This can turn an ordinary dive into a great one. The conditions don’t matter – cold, terrible visibility or strong currents are forgotten once a wolfie (as we call them locally) appears publicly. It’s not surprising why divers worldwide travel to places like the Hood Canal to catch a glimpse of these fantastic creatures.
Meet the Wolfie
Throughout history, the peoples of the northern Pacific have held wolf eels in deep respect. Many of the native tribes in the area viewed the wolf eel as a creature of strength and resilience, symbolizing protection due to its robust and intimidating appearance. This belief often extended to the spiritual realm, where the wolf eel was thought to embody protective spirits. In Washington, the wolf eel is now a protected species in the Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
This is not because they are endangered but because their value as a living resource to divers and photographers far exceeds whatever commercial value the species could provide as a food source. Some dive sites, like Sund Rock in the Hood Canal, are well-known locations where wolf eels interact with divers and provide unique photo opportunities.
Wolfies are not related to eels. Instead, they are part of a family known as the wolf fishes.
They belong to an even larger group of fish known as Perciform, generally considered perch-like fish. But their long-bodied, eel-like appearance is unique in this group of fishes. The wolf eel can be found as far south as San Diego in southern California, then northward up the Pacific coast to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The popular term “wolf eel” comes from the large frontal canine-like teeth used to seize their favorite meals, mainly hardshelled crustaceans and invertebrates. The typical menu includes crabs like Dungeness, Red Rock, and Green Urchins.
Most wolf eels can grow to about six feet long and weigh almost thirty pounds, although they can grow to eight feet. These massive fish are speculated to live up to 10 years in the wild, though no research is available on their longevity. Scientists have found that they can begin reproducing between four to seven years, suggesting they may be long-living fish. One fact that I find fascinating is that they lack a swim bladder, a feature commonly found in most fish species. The swim bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that helps fish regulate their buoyancy and control their vertical position in the water column. However, the wolf eel has evolved without this organ, relying on its muscular body and strong pectoral fins to maneuver and maintain its position in the water. The lack of a swim bladder allows wolf eels to lounge around on the bottom or lay in their home lairs. Like snakes, they swim by making S shapes with their bodies and use their pectoral fins to steer. This unique adaptation allows the wolf eel to thrive in rocky coastal habitats, where it can navigate through crevices and caves with exceptional agility. By forgoing the swim bladder, the wolf eel has developed a specialized set of skills, making it an expert hunter and a master of its underwater domain.
Juveniles exhibit a more vibrant and striking appearance that help them blend in with their surroundings, such as rocky reefs or kelp forests.
Additionally, wolf eels have a slimy coating on their bodies, which serves several important purposes for their survival and protection in their marine environment. First, it acts as a natural defense against infections. The slime contains antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and parasites on their skin, reducing risk of infection.
When threatened or attacked, a wolf eel can release more slime from its skin, making it slippery and challenging for predators to maintain a firm grip. This slippery defense mechanism allows the wolf eel to escape from potential threats. The slimy layer reduces friction when the wolf eel moves through the water, allowing them to easily pass through tight spaces and narrow cracks without getting stuck.
Lifecycle Of A Wolf Eel
Approximately 24 hours before mating, the female wolf eel’s abdomen becomes noticeably distended. When this happens, the male will butt his head against the back of her abdominal region. This action appears to stimulate physiological activity. A series of waves move through the female's body from her head to her tail, particularly pronounced in her abdominal area. The male will then wrap himself around the female so that their heads will be side by side and their genital regions adjacent. In this position, the female releases the eggs, usually between 5,000 and 10,000, and the male fertilizes them as they appear. After fertilization, the female will coil about the eggs, molding them into a ball-like cluster. The eggs are adhesive to each other but not to the rocky walls of the den. Both parents will then coil themselves about the egg mass, sometimes together and at other times individually, tending the eggs and ensuring they are rotated so that a good flow of water passes through them.
about 1 1/2 inches long. They turn dark gray within a day and start snacking on small shrimp after a few days. The larvae that emerge are left on their own to swim with the plankton in the ocean. From birth, they are voracious predators and will strike at their planktonic prey, much like a coiled snake will strike at a mouse. Constantly searching for prey, the larval wolf eels will lead a pelagic existence. Eventually, the maturing youngsters settle on the ground and enter a den. Denning will typically occur in the Puget Sound area from February through April.
The change from a pelagic to a bottom-dwelling existence spawns physical changes in the juvenile wolf eel. Juveniles exhibit a more vibrant and striking appearance.
A vivid orange or reddish-orange color with darker markings often characterizes their appearance. This vibrant coloration helps juveniles blend in with their surroundings, such as rocky reefs or kelp forests. As they mature into adults, their coloration becomes more subdued brown or reddish-brown. The skin often has spots of a darker color, which may be outlined in a lighter color. The males will also develop a puffy face, enlarged jaws, huge bulbous lips, and a powerful sagittal crest at the top of their heads to support the increased muscle mass required for the jaws.
FRIENDS & ENEMIES
Both species vie for control over these coveted shelters, which serve as their sanctuary in a harsh underwater world. This struggle is fueled by their shared habitat, prey, and an unyielding desire for the same type of den sites.
With its unmatched dexterity and cunning, the octopus poses a formidable challenge to the wolf eel. I have watched the battle when a GPO ruthlessly evicts a wolf eel, sometimes even targeting mated pairs, and claims the den as its own. Despite the wolf eel's valiant efforts, there is little it can do once an octopus of even modest size has set its sights on a particular den.
There is no fairness in the realm of a Salish Sea rocky reef. A fierce battle for ownership unfolds around the most desirable den sites. The key contenders are the Giant Pacific Octopus (GPO), and the formidable wolf eel.
Ask any diver, and they can attest to the futility of trying to dislodge an entrenched octopus from its chosen abode.
