12/21/2023 0 Comments Wolf eel teeth![]() Much to my surprise, it wasn’t the wolf eels I had to be concerned about, it was the rockfish. She readily agreed and before long we were in the water, hungry eels hovering around us waiting to be fed. Would they bite me in their frenzy to get the food? I didn’t feel “lucky.” I asked my dive buddy Diana if she’d go first and show me how it was done. All I could think about was how to manage six hungry eels. My team seemed to think I had been offered the best job, much like diving the shark exhibit. Then, on my second shift I got offered an opportunity to feed them myself. Without the “pink ball” they have been trained to respond to at feeding time, I was just another fish in the exhibit. When I realized the eels were only curious about whether or not I had food, I relaxed. The first time I dove Orford Reef-the exhibit housing six wolf eels-I hate to admit it, but I was nervous. The Oregon Coast Aquarium has a lot to do with this overwhelming change of heart. Like others, I first saw the teeth, the angry-looking face, the evil sidekick reputation (thanks a bunch Disney). While I have never been scared of them, I have always been cautious. Some as shallow as 40 feet, but more often in the 100 to 120 feet range tucked into rocky dens in the Hood Canal. Since 2016 I have seen many more wolf eels. How on earth does one reconcile these differences? On the one hand we are capable of eating animals, totally detaching ourselves from their experience, life and character and then on the other, of loving and appreciating them, crying when they die, and yes even reading personalities into their actions. It was at this point that I realized how peculiar people are. When we surfaced, my instructor-a tall, “manly man” known for his crabbing prowess and love of a good old tri-tip steak-talked affectionately about this creature, as though he were talking about his dog. It didn’t appear scared, but it also didn’t act aggressively. It was as though it was just as interested in checking us out as we were it. It peered at each of us but didn’t venture out too much further. There, like a frond of seaweed, a thick grey wolf eel was wafting, its fat upper torso tapering into a slim ribbon shape that it kept tucked inside the tire. He stopped suddenly and gestured toward an old car tire. My instructor was leading the way back up the slope after our deep dive for the Advanced class. The first time I saw a wolf eel was in 2016 at about 60 feet in the Hood Canal in Washington State. While the daring diver will tell you “if you’re careful you can give ‘em a scratch under the chin,” most people will pull back in distaste, the wolf eel’s wrinkly face, and needle-sharp teeth the sole focus of their gaze.īut, spend enough time diving with these creatures and even the most hard-hearted soul will find themselves softening. Unfortunately, wolf eels-much like sharks-have an undeservedly poor reputation. Today their grumpy faces have a way of making me smile, even with a regulator in my mouth. Firstly by reputation, secondly by observation, and more recently as a result of hand-feeding them squid in the Oregon Coast Aquarium. In the couple of years I have spent obsessively scuba diving, I have come to know the wolf eel in many different ways. If wolf eels are not regularly given crunchy foods (crabs, sea urchins, etc.), it will affect their teeth.ĭespite their looks and those large, strong teeth, wolf eels are actually known for being gentile and curious.If sea lions are the dogs of the sea then the wolf eel is the cat of the sea. The male will then wrap his body around the female to protect them.Īs juveniles wolf eels are brightly colored, and lack the strong molars adults have so they typically will stick to a diet of fish until they grow in those teeth.Ī common problem biologists face in keeping these animals in captivity is making sure to keep giving them a crunchy diet. She will then wrap her body around the eggs, to shape them into a neat sphere. Females will lay up to 10,000 eggs at a time. Wolf eels are also attentive parents and they mate for life. They have a strong set of teeth for crunching through the shells of crabs, sand dollars, and sea urchins. They are native to the Pacific Ocean, and are typically found in crevices, caves, or in some form of shelter. They can grow up to a little over 7ft and weigh about 40lb. If you look closely you will see they have pectoral fins (the ones on the sides) and true eels lack these. To start off the wolf eel is not a true eel, it is a member of the wolf fish family. Definitely not one of the beauties of the ocean but a really interesting animal none-the-less.
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