Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T19:41:13.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Age composition and feeding ecology of early juvenile Notothenia rossii (Pisces, Nototheniidae) at Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2008

Esteban R. Barrera-Oro  and
Debora J. Winter
Esteban R. Barrera-Oro*
Affiliation:
Instituto Antártico Argentino, Cerrito 1248, A1010AAZ Buenos Aires, Argentina Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, División Ictiología, Angel Gallardo 470, CI405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina
Debora J. Winter
Affiliation:
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, División Ictiología, Angel Gallardo 470, CI405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina
*
*[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Age and diet of 140 brown phase early juvenile Notothenia rossii specimens caught at Potter Cove from December 2005–March 2006 were studied. Fish were immature, in the range 8.5–21 cm TL and of age groups 1–2 (otolith/scale readings). The diet (F% and coefficient Q methods) was mainly benthic-demersal organisms with Gammaridean amphipods (primarily Gondogeneia antarctica) as the most frequent (F% = 98) and main prey (Q% = 97). The occurrence of algae, gastropods and harpacticoid copepods was high, but these organisms were secondary or occasional food. The importance of other benthic (bivalves, polychaetes, isopods) and pelagic (ostracods, calanoids, hyperiid amphipods, krill) prey was very low. Preference of larger fish for larger prey was evident. Stomach fullness analysis showed high food availability during the sampling period. Young stages of N. rossii are demersal, preying mainly on gammarideans and other invertebrates of the benthic community associated with macroalgae beds. The almost complete lack of plankton components in the diet of early juvenile fish suggests they do not migrate vertically to feed.

Keywords

Coastal fishNotothenioideitrophic ecologyyoung stages
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , August 2008 , pp. 339 - 341
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barrera-Oro, E.R. 2002. Review: the role of fish in the Antarctic marine food web: differences between inshore and offshore waters in the southern Scotia Arc and west Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctic Science, 14, 293–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrera-Oro, E.R. & Casaux, R.J. 1992. Age estimation for juvenile Notothenia rossii from Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands. Antarctic Science, 4, 131–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrera-Oro, E.R. & Piacentino, G. 2007. Feeding habits of juvenile Trematomus newnesi (Pisces, Nototheniidae) at Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 30, 789–796.Google Scholar
Burchett, M.S. 1983. Food, feeding and behaviour of Notothenia rossii marmorata nearshore at South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin, No. 61, 45–51.Google Scholar
Casaux, R.J., Mazzotta, A.S. & Barrera-Oro, E.R. 1990. Seasonal aspects of the biology and diet of nearshore nototheniid fish at Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 11, 63–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hureau, J.C. 1970. Biologie comparée de quelques Poissons antarctiques (Nototheniidae). Bulletin de l’ Institut Océanographique, Monaco, 68, 1–244.Google Scholar
Kock, K.H. 1992. Antarctic fish and fisheries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 359 pp.Google Scholar
Linkowski, T.B., Presler, P. & Zukowski, C. 1983. Food habits of nototheniid fishes (Nototheniidae) in Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands). Polish Polar Research, 4, 79–95.Google Scholar