Fish
Common/white monkfish
Lophius piscatorius
(I) Mer de Barents, (IIa) Mer de Norvège, (IIIa) Skagerrak et Kattegat, (IV) North Sea, (VI) Rockall et Ouest Ecosse, (VII) Manche, (VIII) Golfe de Gascogne
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
61 cm
Minimum size
Description
The monkfish's head is flattened and much wider than the rest of its body, its mouth is wide open, and it looks quite monstrous. A master of camouflage, its color adapts to its environment and it pretends to be a rock covered with seaweed. Nicknamed the "fishing fish," this predator has a lure on the first spine of its dorsal fin, which it uses as bait to lure prey into its large mouth.
Habitat
Monkfish, of the genus Lophius, also known as anglerfish, is a solitary fish that lives on the sea floor. There are a total of seven species in France, but the two species commonly found on our fishmongers' stalls are the common monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) and the red monkfish (Lophius budegassa). They are found from northern Norway to the coast of West Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, at depths of 20-1,000 meters.
Distribution
The species is found in the eastern Atlantic, from the southwestern Barents Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar, in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the Black Sea. It is also observed off the coast of Iceland and Mauritania. Specimens from the North Atlantic are generally larger than those caught off the coast of Africa and are found at greater depths.