The Spotted Catfish

Robert Schmidt with large spotted catfish in Suðureyri 2008.


Local fisherman with a very large spotted catfish in Suðureyri 2008.



Fish container full of spotted catfish on the harbor in Suðureyri.

The Spotted Catfish (Anarhichas minor) is quite difficult to find and catch with a sea fishing rod. Everyone likes to catch one but very few managed to do so. This is therefore a grate challenge to all sea fishermen who visit Iceland and West fjords.

The spotted catfish is called; the younger brother of the catfish (Anarhicas lupus) because he was discovered later. The spotted catfish is bigger and the common size is about 70-90 cm long and 4-8 kg but he can crow up to 180 cm long and the heaviest can be 26 kg. Those are believed to be 25-30 years old.

The skin from the spotted catfish is much stronger than the common catfish. Few Icelandic companies are manufacturing leather from those skins and are making all kinds of bags, belts and clothes with excellent results. However the spotted catfish teeth are smaller and weaker. Some say that he likes to eat the caviar from his older brother, the catfish.

The local fishermen’s in Suðureyri catches spotted catfish on a 100 meters deep and often 15-20 miles from the shore on the long line and some of them are very big. The heaviest ones are about 20-25 kg.

Robert Schmidt
http://www.fisherman.is/

Photos by Robert Schmidt