Origins:   Wolffish range across the top of South America.  You can even find them in brackish waters where rivers pour into the ocean.  At one time they escaped into a coastal part of Florida where they ate lots of sunfishes.  A cold snap wiped them out.  Originally only larger wolffish (half a foot) were available commercially.  Now we see smaller (possibly?) tank-raised specimens.

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No one considers your wolffish a community fish.

Appeal:  Only people who like large predators want to keep a wolffish.  When you look them full in the face, you see their protruding “wolf teeth.”  If you pick one up with your bare hands, have a first-aid kit handy.  Unlike piranhas that slice their food into bite-size chunks, wolffish grab their prey in the middle, shake the tar out of it to stun it, then swallow it head first (usually).  Smaller stuff they just swallow in one fast gulp.

Keep Covered:  In the wild these guys can travel long distances overland when it rains.  They use their swim bladder to help them absorb atmospheric oxygen.  (Do not give this info to the feds.)  In captivity, they like to get out of their tank in search of greener pastures.  They survive only a few hours on a dry carpet.  Keep them well covered.  They bail if given only half a chance.

LA
Big wolffish are kinda plain ugly.

Size:   Most wolffish top out at around a foot because people keep them in too small tanks.  They need more than a 55 to attain their full 20-inch potential.

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Took this little wolffish about a minute to down his lunch

Foods:  Wolffish love live fish (except the armored catfishes).  They can easily overpower and swallow a fish two-thirds their length – especially skinny ones.  They also enjoy most chunky frozen foods and night crawlers.  This guy above even bites the net when we move his piece of slate.

Water:  Because wolffish use their auxiliary breathing organ, they can live in pretty crummy water with low oxygen levels.  Since they devour vast quantities, you need to filter their water well.  Make frequent large water changes.

Housing:   As mentioned earlier, wolffish need lots of room.  If you have a 70, a wolffish will grow nicely.  Give them a lurking place to hang out.  They feel more comfortable when hiding from other predators (such as alligators).

Tank Mates:  Wolffish pretty much chew on anything they can reach – including larger cichlids.  Large fish that learn to stay out of their way will survive (with scars).

Temperature:  Keep your wolffish at tropical temperatures – 75^o or so.  They do not do well in cool water as their disappearance from Florida indicates.  Some got loose there but could not survive.  Another sad fish story.

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Called a rainbow wolffish (3 inches).  A rose by any other name ...

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This "rainbow wolffish" looks like the hi-fin wolffish at top.  DOA.

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Just a little guy with a nice set of choppers.

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His teeth show even better after the crawdads clean him up a bit.

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Here's anther wolffish not looking good.  Do not do this at home.

Temperament:  Nocturnal by nature, they like to hide until food appears.  Then they rush out and snap it up.  Because wolffish prefer the night shift, they like you to feed them in the evening.  However, they will adjust to your schedule.

Décor:  Because wolffish grow so large, they’ll knock your plants loose.  And since they prefer lower light levels, you can’t keep most live plants.  Stick with plastic plants.  Add wood and rocks to taste -- yours, not theirs.

Breeding:  In the wild wolffish breed in caves.  The females lay thousands of eggs over a two-week period.  They hatch in four days.  The larger ones undoubtedly eat the smaller ones.  You will not spawn them in captivity.

Last Word:  Keep their water clean.  You cannot over filter your wolffish’s water.  LA.

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