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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]
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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

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