It’s angry, scary, and an eel! …just kidding, none of those are true. The Pacific Wolf Eel is actually not an eel at all, but a fish! You can tell by their pectoral fins, something that true marine eels lack. Wolf eels are an amazing looking fish, and obtained their names by their eel-like appearance and behavior. Once mature, wolf eels will spend their entire lives in a single den with their mates, having only one mate go out to search for food while their young are developing. The young wolf eels actually boast a vibrant orange like color similar to Garibaldi, but with more patterns and purple accents. Wolf eels like to hunt from inside their dens, patiently waiting for prey to stray too close, but juveniles are free swimmers. They aren’t picky eaters, either! Wolf eels will prey on most everything from fish, squids, clams, sea urchins and more.

Have you seen a wolf eel up close? Tell us about it!