Wolf Eel
Anarrhichthys ocellatus
Sighting evidence at Browning Pass, British Columbia
Photo: Sara Thiebaud · CC BY-NC
Despite their ferocious appearance and powerful crushing jaws, wolf eels are famously gentle with familiar divers and known individuals at Browning Pass have been accepting hand-feeds from guides for decades. They mate for life and return to the same den year after year, making them one of the most reliable sightings in all of BC diving. Their role as specialist predators of sea urchins, clams, and crabs makes them ecosystem engineers — without wolf eels, urchin populations can explode and overgraze the kelp that structures the entire reef habitat.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Wolf Eel is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.