Eelpouts, wolffishes & gunnels

110 species · 9 families

Eelpouts, wolffishes and gunnels are elongated bottom fish of cool seas with a long, continuous dorsal fin and an eel-like rear body. Wolffishes have impressive canine and molar teeth to crush shellfish, crabs and sea urchins. Eelpouts are remarkably livebearing: they release fully developed young instead of eggs. Many species shelter among stones, weeds and in crevices along the coast. Despite their sometimes grim-looking head, they are harmless, fascinating dwellers of the cold coastal zone.

Open Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Free open beta.

Get the app →

Alaskan ronquil

Bathymaster caeruleofasciatus

Bathymasteridae

Anderson's eelpout

Gymnelus andersoni

Zoarcidae

Antarctic eelpout

Lycodichthys antarcticus

Zoarcidae

Antarctic eelpout

Ophthalmolycus amberensis

Zoarcidae

Arctic eelpout

Lycodes reticulatus

Zoarcidae

Arctic shanny

Stichaeus punctatus

Stichaeidae

Argentine eelpout

Lycenchelys argentina

Zoarcidae

Atlantic wolffish

Anarhichas lupus

Anarhichadidae

Aurora pout

Gymnelus retrodorsalis

Zoarcidae

Austrolycus depressiceps

Austrolycus depressiceps

Zoarcidae

Banded gunnel

Pholis fasciata

Pholidae

Bearded eelpout

Lyconema barbatum

Zoarcidae

Belted blenny

Phytichthys chirus

Stichaeidae

Bigeye eelpout

Ophthalmolycus macrops

Zoarcidae

Bigeye unernak

Gymnelus hemifasciatus

Zoarcidae

Bigfin eelpout

Lycodes cortezianus

Zoarcidae

Bigtooth eelpout

Lycodapus fierasfer

Zoarcidae

Black blenny

Xiphister atropurpureus

Stichaeidae

Black eelpout

Lycodes diapterus

Zoarcidae

Blackbelly eelpout

Lycodes pacificus

Zoarcidae

Blackline prickleback

Acantholumpenus mackayi

Stichaeidae

Blacktail eelpout

Bothrocarina nigrocaudata

Zoarcidae

Bracketed blenny

Pholis laeta

Pholidae

no photo

Broadbanded eelpout

Austrolycus laticinctus

Zoarcidae

Butterfish

Pholis gunnellus

Pholidae

Canadian eelpout

Lycodes polaris

Zoarcidae

Catfish

Anarhichas minor

Anarhichadidae

Checker eelpout

Lycodes vahlii

Zoarcidae

Cockscomb prickleback

Anoplarchus purpurescens

Stichaeidae

Common wolf eel

Lycenchelys paxillus

Zoarcidae

Daubed shanny

Leptoclinus maculatus

Stichaeidae

Decorated warbonnet

Chirolophis decoratus

Stichaeidae

Doctorfish

Anarrhichthys ocellatus

Anarhichadidae

Doubleline eelpout

Lycodes eudipleurostictus

Zoarcidae

Dwarf wrymouth

Cryptacanthodes aleutensis

Cryptacanthodidae

Dybowski's prickleback

Pholidapus dybowskii

Stichaeidae

Eastern pacific eelpout

Zoarces elongatus

Zoarcidae

Eel-blenny

Lumpenus sagitta

Stichaeidae

Eelpout

Iluocoetes fimbriatus

Zoarcidae

Eelpout

Oidiphorus brevis

Zoarcidae

Eelpout

Zoarces viviparus

Zoarcidae

Eelpout

Lycodes raridens

Zoarcidae

Esmark's ellpout

Lycodes esmarkii

Zoarcidae

Fish doctor

Gymnelus viridis

Zoarcidae

Fourline snakeblenny

Eumesogrammus praecisus

Stichaeidae

Fucus blenny

Apodichthys fucorum

Pholidae

Giant wrymouth

Cryptacanthodes giganteus

Cryptacanthodidae

Graveldiver

Scytalina cerdale

Scytalinidae

Kelp eelpout

Phucocoetes latitans

Zoarcidae

Laval's eelpout

Lycodes lavalaei

Zoarcidae

Limp eelpout

Melanostigma gelatinosum

Zoarcidae

Longear eelpout

Lycodes seminudus

Zoarcidae

Longfin gunnel

Pholis clemensi

Pholidae

Longsnout eelpout

Bothrocara molle

Zoarcidae

Longsnout prickleback

Lumpenella longirostris

Stichaeidae

Looseskin eelpout

Lycodapus dermatinus

Zoarcidae

Masked prickleback

Opisthocentrus zonope

Stichaeidae

Monkeyface prickleback

Cebidichthys violaceus

Stichaeidae

Mosshead warbonnet

Chirolophis nugator

Stichaeidae

Mother-of-eels

Zoarces americanus

Zoarcidae

Mottled eelpout

Davidijordania poecilimon

Zoarcidae

Newfoundland eelpout

Lycodes terraenovae

Zoarcidae

Northern ronquil

Ronquilus jordani

Bathymasteridae

Northern wolffish

Anarhichas denticulatus

Anarhichadidae

Notable klipfish

Dadyanos insignis

Zoarcidae

Nutcracker prickleback

Bryozoichthys lysimus

Stichaeidae

Ocellated prickleback

Opisthocentrus ocellatus

Stichaeidae

Paamiut eelpout

Lycodes paamiuti

Zoarcidae

Pale eelpout

Lycodes pallidus

Zoarcidae

Pale eelpout

Lycodapus mandibularis

Zoarcidae

Pale prickleback

Lumpenopsis hypochroma

Stichaeidae

Pen-point blenny

Apodichthys flavidus

Pholidae

Persimmon eelpout

Eucryphycus californicus

Zoarcidae

Prowfish

Zaprora silenus

Zaproridae

Quillfish

Ptilichthys goodei

Ptilichthyidae

Radiated shanny

Ulvaria subbifurcata

Stichaeidae

Regan's eelpout

Lycozoarces regani

Zoarcidae

Ribbed gunnel

Dictyosoma burgeri

Stichaeidae

Rock prickleback

Xiphister mucosus

Stichaeidae

Saddleback gunnel

Pholis ornata

Pholidae

Saddled eelpout

Lycodes mucosus

Zoarcidae

Sars' wolf eelpout

Lycenchelys sarsii

Zoarcidae

Scalebelly eelpout

Lycodes squamiventer

Zoarcidae

Searcher

Bathymaster signatus

Bathymasteridae

Serpent blenny

Lumpenus lampretaeformis

Stichaeidae

Shortfin eelpout

Lycodes brevipes

Zoarcidae

Sixline prickleback

Ernogrammus hexagrammus

Stichaeidae

Slender cockscomb

Anoplarchus insignis

Stichaeidae

Slender eelblenny

Lumpenus fabricii

Stichaeidae

Slender eelpout

Argentinolycus elongatus

Zoarcidae

Smallhead eelpout

Bothrocarina microcephala

Zoarcidae

Smallhead eelpout

Pachycara microcephalum

Zoarcidae

Soldatov's eelpout

Lycodes soldatovi

Zoarcidae

Spiny cockscomb

Alectrias benjamini

Stichaeidae

Stout eelblenny

Anisarchus medius

Stichaeidae

Stripefin ronquil

Rathbunella alleni

Bathymasteridae

Stripefin ronquil

Rathbunella hypoplecta

Bathymasteridae

Tawnystripe eelpout

Lycodes brunneofasciatus

Zoarcidae

Threeline prickleback

Esselenichthys carli

Stichaeidae

Threespot eelpout

Lycodes rossi

Zoarcidae

Tidepool gunnel

Pholis nebulosa

Pholidae

Twoline eelpout

Bothrocara brunneum

Zoarcidae

Vahl's eelpout

Lycodes gracilis

Zoarcidae

Walker's prickleback

Ernogrammus walkeri

Stichaeidae

Wattled eelpout

Lycodes palearis

Zoarcidae

Whitebarred blenny

Poroclinus rothrocki

Stichaeidae

Whitespotted eelpout

Lycodes albonotatus

Zoarcidae

Wolf eelpout

Lycenchelys verrillii

Zoarcidae

Wrymouth

Cryptacanthodes maculatus

Cryptacanthodidae

Yarrell's blenny

Chirolophis ascanii

Stichaeidae