Maine Seafood Guide – Wolffish

Maine Seafood Guide

If you are interested in recreational harvesting, please check the listed regulatory agencies for the most up-to-date status of each fishery. If you see information here that you know to be outdated, please let us know.

Shellfish recreational limits: The one peck per day limit is for a combined total regardless of species harvested. Towns may also require recreational licenses although the state does not require a license to harvest for personal consumption.

Maine Seafood Guide – Wolffish

Anarhichas lupus PAQ
Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus), Aquarium du Québec. Photo: Cephas

Species Description
Season
Status
Regulatory Authority
Harvest Method
Recreational Harvest
Health Benefits & Risks
Buying & Preparing
Brands
Certifications
Links

►Species Description

Wolffish Anarhichas lupus
also known as ocean catfish

Wild.

Bigelow and Schroeder wrote, “The great projecting tusks, blunt snout, massive head, and small eyes give Atlantic wolffish a singularly savage aspect. Wolffish are widely renowned among fishermen for their ferocious appearance, temperament, and biting ability.”

Wolffish are a bottom-dwelling, solitary fish of deep waters on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean.

►Season

Harvesting for wolffish, commercially and recreationally, is prohibited.

►Status

The Atlantic wolffish of Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine is considered a Species of Concern under the Endangered Species Act, and the population is overfished.

►Regulatory Authority

New England Fishery Management Council Multispecies (groundfish) Plan.

►Harvest Method

None.

►Recreational Harvest

None. Anglers are prohibited from landing Atlantic wolffish in Maine.

►Health Benefits & Risks

Mercury levels in wolffish are unknown.

►Buying & Preparing

N/A.

►Companies, Brands, and Labels

►Certifications & Verifications

►Links