All About Monkfish

Monkfish is a popular enough source of fish flesh for seafood dishes that most people are familiar with the taste, although the appearance of the monkfish itself might come as a source of some surprise. Most people are surprised when they learn that the flat-bodied, big-headed and spiny creature they see on ice is a monkfish. "I ate that sea monster?" is a response often heard at many a waterfront fish market upon learning just what a monkfish looks like.

Sometimes known as anglerfish or goosefish, monkfish are bottom-dwelling sea fish found in the northwest Atlantic. That makes them a distinctly American and Canadian catch. As other more popular fish stocks have become depleted, the commercial fishing industry has turned increasingly to monkfish as a means of putting seafood on the dinner table. While the fish's appearance leaves a lot to be desired, they have a lot of tasty meat on their bodies and that makes them valuable. As monkfish have become better known for eating, some sport fishermen have turned to pursuing them as well. After all, they are a challenge to catch and tasty in the stew pot.

Characteristics

Monkfish have a flat body, with a spiny and over-sized head, giving them a disproportionate appearance. Rounding out this ugliness is their mouth, which is full of fang-like teeth. Monkfish are salt water bottom dwellers, and they like sandy, muddy and silty bottoms. Their prowling grounds can range in depth from relatively shallow, coastal seas to deep waters below 2,300 feet, so monkfish can be found as far out to sea as 200 miles from shore. The monkfish range in an ocean territory that extends from North Carolina's Cape Hatteras to the Grand Banks of Canada.

Monkfish are predators, and they aren't picky about it. They will eat just about anything they can sink their teeth into, and have been seen attacking water birds on the surface before. However, for the most part the monkfish will stick to hunting and eating fish smaller than itself. They are typically about 3 or 3 1/2 feet long, but sometimes can get up to 5 feet long.

Fishing Status

The U.S. government does not consider the monkfish to be over-fished or otherwise endangered, but that opinion is contested. Seafood Watch, the main private organization concerned with worldwide fish numbers, disagrees and considers the monkfish to be over-fished. So, in a legal sense they can be fished in accordance with local regulations. In an ethical sense, sport-fishermen should do so on a limited basis and with caution in regards to methods and numbers caught.

Sources: dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishfacts/monkfish.asp; montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=13