"The Great Grey"

Names of danger

Just the  names of this spectacular creature are spectacular . All of them (often a couple in each language) give you an impression of a dangerous animal. My somewhat exaggerated heading, alluding to both the great white shark and the wolf,  is there to catch your attention,  not reflecting the truth about the catfish very well.

The scientific name "Anarhichas lupus" (where "lupus" means wolf), german name "Seewolf" and french name "Loup de mer" are all making connections to the fabled predator, the wolf. This is true also for one of its english names: "Wolffish". "Catfish", which is the more common english name, and the swedish name "Havskatt" are both implying a relationship with the gentle cat, which often also is a skilled hunter. It is also quite probable, that the cat-related names are a result of its body markings, quite well resembling a striped cat. The norwegian name "Steinbit" is most probably an expression for its exceptionally strong yaws.

Strong yaws

No question about it, it looks dangerous. Some of its names are expressing the natural feeling coming to anyone who gets in close encounter with this animal. My first encounter was at one of my first open water dives. Luckily this individual  was very small, so this dive did not end with a swallowed  mouthpiece or some other narrow escape. Later I have been in close encounter with individuals being close to its  maximum size (around 20 kg, see picture above), and I also survived these events. Is the  catfish dangerous? Well, there are lots of evidence about  its strong yaws, supported by for instance its norwegian name "Steinbit". Its exceptionally strong yaws are  potentially  dangerous. They are adapted to crushing mussel shells, which  sometimes can be very strong. In fact, the catfish is the only predator, which can handle the black clam, with a shell thickness up to 5 mm. There are stories about catfishes crushing boathooks as if they were made from balsa wood. So, a good advice is to keep away from its yaws. It is however normally not aggressive. With the addition "normally", I want to put out a warning for its proneness to maintain its territory. I have a number of times ran into big catfishes, which refuses to move away. Do not push your luck in such a situation. This behaviour is however very advantageous if you are a photographer, "close-ups" are rather easy. Remember to be careful however. In a situation, where the animal is caught, you should be very careful not to come close to its yaws. I know of careless divers, who have put a catfish in their catchbag, leaving it hanging in its strap, and after a while feeling an increasingly strong grip in their leg, ending with suit penetration and blood shed. Fishermen most often have a healthy respect for catfishes being braught aboard, they know about the boathook stories.