Monkfish

Q: Can you eat Monkfish?

Firm, dense white tail meat with a mild, subtly sweet flavor often compared to lobster; very low fat. A high-end restaurant staple — roasted, pan-seared, or wrapped in prosciutto.

Q: How big does Monkfish get?

Monkfish can grow up to 120.0 cm long and weigh 27.0 kg.

Q: Where is Monkfish found?

Western North Atlantic from Newfoundland and the Grand Banks south to Brazil. Lies camouflaged on sandy and muddy seafloor of the Continental Shelf and upper Slope, ranging from the surf zone to 670 m depth. Atlantic and Pacific shelves at 50-1000m depth over soft muddy substrates. Lies motionless on the seafloor to ambush prey. Found on both sides of the North Atlantic from Newfoundland to Florida.

Q: Is Monkfish endangered?

The conservation status of Monkfish is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Monkfish belong to?

Monkfish (Lophius americanus) belongs to the family Lophiidae (Goosefishes & Monkfish) in the order Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes).

Abstract

Once discarded as trash fish, the monkfish or goosefish (Lophius americanus) now commands high prices for its tail meat, whose firm, dense, sweet texture earned it the name 'poor man's lobster'. It is a benthic ambush predator with an enormous head and gaping mouth, luring prey within reach using a modified dorsal spine. Brown to greyish-brown mottling and fringed flap edges break up its outline against the sandy and muddy seafloor it lies motionless on. The species ranges through the western North Atlantic from Newfoundland and the Grand Banks south to Brazil, from the surf zone to about 670 metres. The IUCN Red List assesses it as Least Concern.