Anarhichadidae is a family of fishes of the order Perciformes. The body is elongated, covered with fine scales deeply embedded in the skin. Dorsal and anal fins are long. Pelvic fins are absent. The mouth is large with well-developed teeth, annually replaced. Adults reach a length of 110-240 cm and a weight of 20-32 kg. Marine, relatively deep-sea, benthic fishes. All Anarhichadidae are benthophagous. Anarhichas minor is found in the Arctic waters of northern seas, including the Barents Sea, and A. orientalis in the Far Eastern seas. These are large fish with a body length of up to 1.5 m, inhabiting depths of over 500 m and more.

The powerful teeth and fangs of Anarhichadidae, sticking out of the mouth, are conspicuous. They use their fangs not only for defense, but also to attack other fish, sometimes other catfish. However, this does not happen so often, fangs are usually used for another purpose, namely, to tear off the bottom clinging to it mollusks, echinoderms and crustaceans, shells and shells of which catfish crush or tear tubercle-shaped and conical teeth sitting on the palate and on the lower jaw behind the fangs. From such work teeth quickly wear out, but after all, their life is not long: every year, in the months when the water in the habitat of catfish cools, all the old teeth fall out, and from under them rise new teeth on new, still soft bases. At this time, catfish grab only prey not protected by the shell, or do not eat at all. A month and a half later, the plinths ossify, and in their bases again appear embryos of teeth, which grow inside the merged with each other plinths, gradually destroying them until the new change.

They live in temperate and cold seas, in the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Some species are objects of fishing and sport fishing. Stay close to shore at depths of 300-1700 meters. They feed on mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, jellyfish and fish.

The family includes five species in two genera:

Anarhichas genus

Anarhichas lupus inhabits the North Atlantic, North, Norwegian, Baltic, Barents and White Seas

Anarhichas orientalis inhabits the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean, occurs in the Chukchi Sea.

Anarhichas minor, range - northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, Barents and Norwegian Seas

Anarhichas denticulatus, range coincides with that of the spotted catfish.

genus Anarhichthys

Anarhichthys ocellatus is distributed in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.