Federal regulators have decided not to list the wolffish under the Endangered Species Act. The request for the listing was filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, which said it was concerned about a steep drop in the wolffish population in the Gulf of Maine over the past decade.

But the National Marine Fisheries Service today decided that a listing was not warranted. "While the biomass has indeed declined, the population occupies a wide variety of habitat in sufficient numbers over a very large range, and is not in danger of extinction in either all or a signficiant portion of its range," says NOAA's Northeast spokeswoman Teri Frady.

Wolffish are bottom-dwelling creatures known for their fierce-looking, fang-like teeth, which are used to crush lobsters, crabs and other shellfish. They're not targeted by Maine fishermen but sometimes get inadvertantly snagged in nets.

Conservation Law Foundation officials say they're disappointed by NOAA's decision. "We wouldn't have filed the petition if we didn't think the wolffish qualified for protection under the act," says CLF's Vice President Sean Mahoney. Mahoney says the decision is complex and involves some new information, which he says the group wants to review in more detail before commenting further.