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MONK FISH (Lophius piscatorius)
The monkfish has a large head and a very large mouth with sharp teeth. Many people claim that it is among the ugliest fish in the ocean. However, despite its looks it is one of the most valuable fish in the sea per weight. As the sharp teeth imply, the monk is a predatory fish, mainly eating other fishes. It lies on the bottom hiding from its prey, which, when close enough, is swiftly engulfed whole by the enormous mouth.
The monkfish occurs at a very wide depth range, from shallow waters down to a depth of 1,800 m. It is usually associated with the bottom, but also occurs close to the surface where it has been seen eating seabirds. It spawns in deep waters south of Iceland. The eggs and larvae then drift to shallower waters, settling on the bottom when 5 to 9 cm long. It grows to 15 to 20 cm in length the first year. The monk grows rapidly during its first years of life and reaches sexual maturity at the age of 4 to 6 and 40 to 80 cm in length, males younger and smaller. The largest monkfish caught in Icelandic waters was 155 cm long and 35 kg gutted. Standard delivery size: 1000-2000g gutted fish, head off 2000-4000g gutted fish, head off 2000-4000g gutted fish 500-1000g fillet Other products upon request.
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