| Wolf herrings | ||||||||||||
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The wolf herrings are a family (Chirocentridae) of two marine species of ray-finned fish related to the herrings.
Both species have elongated bodies and jaws with long sharp teeth that facilitate their ravenous appetites, mostly for other fish. Both species reach a length of 1 meter. They have silvery sides and bluish back.
They are commercially fished, and marketed fresh or frozen.
The Dorab wolf-herring Chirocentrus dorab is found in warm coastal waters from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia.
The whitefin wolf-herring Chirocentrus nudus is found in a similar range, and is difficult to distinguish from C. dorab (the former has a black mark on its dorsal fin). This species is also known to eat crabs in addition to its usual diet of smaller fish.