Dozing after Dinner
Shedd’s Atlantic wolffish go into what's called a “period of slumber” after consuming a large meal. Can you relate? But unlike the folks who doze off in front of the football game after Thanksgiving dinner, wolffish keep their eyes open as they snooze – because they have no eyelids. Sedentary and solitary, these denizens of rocky coastal seafloors on either side of the North Atlantic produce a natural antifreeze to keep their blood flowing in near-freezing waters.
If you’re lucky enough to get face-to-face with one of the four wolffish in the left-hand habitat at the far end of the Oceans gallery, you’ll see that it has four to six fanglike teeth in both its upper and lower jaws, which inspired this species’ common name. Behind those are rows of molars, perfect for cracking and crushing the shells of mollusks, crabs, lobsters and sea urchins. Not exactly turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, but still worth a nap afterward.
Posted by Karen Furnweger, web editor
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