![]() The station is an approved animal research facility and holds an aquaculture licence for over 130 different invertebrate and fish species, including the spotted wolffish. Sometime in 2023, Fram Centre scientists will have an opportunity to use new facilities when Akvaplan-niva opens a modernised version of its R&D station – FISK – just outside Tromsø. The spotted wolffish: unlovely, but exciting. Stay tuned for news about this emerging species in aquaculture. Testing a new large-scale wolffish tank unit with low water and energy consumption is also on the list of activities that might be plotted into the future FISK calendar. In parallel, we may contribute to a breeding programme that is being considered by actors in the aquaculture industry.Īt FISK we will also be able to undertake small scale scientific experiments to strengthen the wolffish farming value chain, for example developing a more optimal feed recipe for on growing of wolffish. We will retain most of the bloodstock at FISK, and plan to build a pre-commercial hatchery and fry production facility. Together with new wolffish aquaculture start-ups we will establish a programme that will form the basis for large-scale commercial production of wolffish (up to 4000 tonnes). This is the background for Akvaplan-niva’s research activities on spotted wolffish at FISK. However, some challenges remain to be solved before full-scale aquaculture of this species is feasible. Spotted wolffish are social creatures, whose growth rate increases when they are gathered together in clusters. Farming of bottom-living fish is generally very space-demanding, but the behaviour of spotted wolffish makes it feasible to house them on shelves in a tank during the on-growing phase of aquaculture, when the fish grow to saleable size. This species’ social nature is an important asset for aquaculture. Fish farmers have discovered that wolffish grow faster when they lie clustered together. Despite its fierce appearance, the wolffish is a friendly and social species. In general, the species can be described as an ideal aquaculture candidate with a range of attractive characteristics, including a high fillet yield and high market prices, non-aggressive behaviour, few problems with disease, and rapid growth in captivity at very high densities. The prospects for spotted wolffish aquaculture were very promising in this early phase. ![]() Young spotted wolffish are rather charming. In 1994 the very first artificially fertilised spotted wolffish eggs were hatched in the laboratories of the Norwegian College of Fishery Science in Tromsø. In the 1990s the spotted wolffish ( Anarhichas minor ) also emerged as a promising candidate for aquaculture attracting considerable interest in Norway, Iceland, Canada, and Chile. This explains why it is a popular catch among both commercial and recreational fishermen. It can chew through all kinds of crustaceans and molluscs, and its preferred diet of such shellfish makes the wolffish a delicacy in its own right. ![]() The wolffish gets its name from the canine-like teeth in the front of both jaws. The wolffish are therefore healthy and in good shape, and seem to be thriving. They are broodfish collected from the wild by fishermen who know how to capture fish without harming them. Just north of Tromsø in Norway, at a research station called FISK, there is a tank holding 70 of these scary-looking fish. Photo: Erling Svensenīy Trude Borch, Marianne Frantzen and Lars Olav Sparboe // Akvaplan-niva The spotted wolffish – intimidating but delicious The spotted wolffish – intimidating but delicious The spotted wolffish, a fierce looking creature but a culinary delicacy.
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