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Over the past 80 years, Wulf’s Fish Market on Harvard Street has become a Brookline institution. Founded by Sam Wulf in 1926 and run by his son Alan for the last 40 years, it’s a true family operation. Go in the store on a weekday and you’d likely find Alan and his cousin, Richard Taylor, who is also the main fish buyer, cutting whole fish, helping customers, and–more than likely–cracking wise. While things may look the same, there has been a major change at the store this year. After confronting some health issues, Alan decided it was time to lighten the load on himself a bit–the life of a fish monger is a physically demanding one–and sell the store.

The new owners, who by all accounts were pretty much handpicked by Alan, are Chris and Hannah Edelman. The young couple are not new to the fish trade. They also run Seafood Specialties, a wholesaler that supplies fish to high-end restaurants around the country. The Edelmans say they plan to tread lightly at Wulf’s, which Chris describes with great reverence as “the Cadillac of Boston fish markets.” In fact, the only obvious change, since they took over, is the addition of a smoked fish case. Plus, Hannah is now working regularly with Richie and Alan, drawing on Alan’s encyclopedic knowledge of customers’ habits, likes and dislikes. But, essentially, it’s been a matter of burnishing what’s already there.

Stepping into Wulf’s can feel a little like a trip back in time (no computers, no credit cards, an ice table full of fish). It is still one of the best fish markets in area, and one of the only ones where you can watch them cut fish. But, of course, as Alan and Richie will tell you, things in the fish trade have changed a lot in the many years they’ve been in the business. The most significant change is the fact that, due to overfishing and increased demand, fish is no longer plentiful or inexpensive. The “fish game” as Richie calls his morning trips to the pier is tougher than ever. But the hope is that with Chris and Hannah the Wulf’s tradition will last another 80 years.