Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:39:15.308Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Biology and distribution of South Georgia icefish (Pseudochaenichthys georgianus) around South Georgia and Shag Rocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2008

Sarah Clarke ,
William D.K. Reid ,
Martin A. Collins  and
Mark Belchier
Sarah Clarke
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
William D.K. Reid
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
Martin A. Collins*
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
Mark Belchier
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
*
*corresponding author:macol@bas.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Pseudochaenichthys georgianus is a member of the unique Channichthyidae family of fishes, which lack haemoglobin. The distribution, length-frequency and summer diet are described from 14 bottom trawl surveys undertaken in the summers between 1986 and 2006. Pseudochaenichthys georgianus (50–590 mm TL) were caught throughout the South Georgia shelf from depths of 76–370 m, but very few specimens (< 1%) were caught on the Shag Rocks shelf. Multiple cohorts were present during each survey and length-frequency analysis of these cohorts suggests that growth is fast during the first 3–4 years. Stomach contents analysis (2005 & 2006) indicated that P. georgianus is a pelagic or semi pelagic predator, with the summer diet dominated by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). Fish (channichthyids and notothenids) were also taken, but were a relatively minor part of the diet.

Keywords

ageChannichthyidaegrowthkrilllength-frequency
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , August 2008 , pp. 343 - 353
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

Agnew, D.J. 2004. Fishing South: history and management of South Georgia fisheries. St. Albans: The Penna Press, 123 pages.Google Scholar
Balushkin, A.V. 2000. Morphology, classification, and evolution of the Notothenioid fishes of the Southern Ocean (Notothenioidei, Perciformes). Journal of Ichthyology, 40, S74–S109.Google Scholar
Brierley, A.S., Watkins, J.L. & Murray, A.W.A. 1997. Interannual variability of krill abundance at South Georgia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 150, 87–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CCAMLR. 2007. Statistical bulletin 19 (1976–2006). Hobart, TAS: CCAMLR, ccamlr.org/pu/e/e_pubs/sb/vol19.htm.Google Scholar
Chojnacki, J. & Palczewski, P. 1981. Age and growth of Pseudochaenichthys georgianus Norman, 1937 (family Chaenichthyidae) of the South Georgia region. Polish Polar Research, 2, 145–158.Google Scholar
Collins, M.A., Shreeve, R.S., Fielding, S. & Thurston, M.H. 2008. Distribution, growth, diet and foraging behaviour of the yellow-fin notothen Patagonotothen guntheri on the Shag Rocks shelf (Southern Ocean). Journal of Fish Biology, 72, 271–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cortes, E. 1996. A critical review of methods of studying fish feeding based on analysis of stomach contents: applications to elasmobranch fishes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Science, 54, 726–738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Croxall, J.P., North, A.W. & Prince, P.A. 1988. Fish prey of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans at South Georgia. Polar Biology, 9, 9–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Croxall, J.P., Prince, P.A. & Reid, K. 1997. Dietary segregation of krill-eating South Georgia seabirds. Journal of Zoology, 242, 531–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Mare, W.K. 1994. Estimating confidence intervals for fish stock abundance estimates from trawl surveys. CCAMLR Science, 1, 203–207.Google Scholar
Detrich, H.W. III, Jones, C.D., Kim, S., North, A.W., Thurber, A. & Vacchi, M. 2005. Nesting behaviour of the icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus at Bouvetøya Island, Southern Ocean. Polar Biology, 28, 828–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Du, J. 2002. Combined algorithms for constrained estimation of finite mixture distributions with grouped data and conditional data. MSc thesis. McMaster University, 124 pp [Unpublished].Google Scholar
Eastman, J.T. 1993. Antarctic fish biology: evolution in a unique environment. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 322 pp.Google Scholar
Eastman, J.T. 2005. The nature of the diversity of Antarctic fishes. Polar Biology 28, 93–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everson, I. 1984. Fish biology. In Laws, R.M., ed. Antarctic ecology, vol. 2. London: Academic Press, 491–532.Google Scholar
Everson, I. & Campbell, S. 1991. Areas of seabed within CCAMLR sub-area 48.3, South Georgia. CCAMLR Selected Scientific Papers, 1990, 459–466.Google Scholar
Everson, I., Neyelov, A. & Permitin, Y.E. 1992. Bycatch of fish in the South Atlantic krill fishery. Antarctic Science, 4, 389–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everson, I., Parkes, G., Kock, K. & Boyd, I.L. 1999. Variation in standing stock of the mackerel icefish Champsocephalus gunnari at South Georgia. Journal of Applied Ecology, 36, 591–603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frolkina, Z.A. 1999. Distribution and some biological features of icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) at different life cycle stages in the South Georgia subarea. CCAMLR WG-FSA-99/65.Google Scholar
Gon, O. & Heemstra, P.C. 1990. Fishes of the Southern Ocean. Grahamstown, SA: JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, 462 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, S.L., Reid, K. & North, A.W. 2005. Recruitment of mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) at South Georgia indicated by predator diets and its relationship with sea surface temperature. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 62, 2530–2537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kock, K.-H. 1981. Fischereibiologische Untersuchungen an drei antarktischen Fischarten: Champsocephalus gunnari Lönnberg, 1905, Chaenocephalus aceratus (Lönnberg, 1906) und Pseudochaenichthys georgianus Norman, 1937 (Notothenioidea, Channichthyidae). Mitteilungen aus dem Institut für Seefischerei der Bundesforchungsanstalt für Fischerei, Hamburg 32, 1–226.Google Scholar
Kock, K.-H. 1985. The state of exploited Antarctic fish stocks around South Georgia (Antarctic). Archiv für Fischereiwissenschaft, 36, 155–183.Google Scholar
Kock, K.-H. 1986. The state of exploited Antarctic fish stocks in the Scotia Arc region during SIBEX (1983–1885). Archiv für Fischereiwissenschaft, 37, 129–186.Google Scholar
Kock, K.-H. 1992. Antarctic fish and fisheries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 359 pp.Google Scholar
Kock, K.-H. 2005. Antarctic icefishes (Channichthyidae): a unique family of fishes: a review, Part 1. Polar Biology, 28, 862–895.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kock, K.-H. & Everson, I. 1997. Biology and ecology of Champsocephalus gunnari: an Antarctic fish lacking haemoglobin. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology, 118A, 1067–1077.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kock, K.-H. & Kellerman, A. 1991. Reproduction in Antarctic notothenioid fish. Antarctic Science, 3, 125–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kock, K.-H., Pshenichnov, L.K. & DeVries, A.L. 2006. Evidence of egg brooding and parental care in icefish and other notothenioids in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic Science, 18, 223–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linkowski, T.B. & Rembiszewski, J.M. 1978. Ichthyological observations off the South Georgia coasts. Polskie Archiwum Hydrobiologii, 25, 697–704.Google Scholar
Macdonald, P.D.M. & Green, P.E.J. 1988. User's guide to program MIX: an interactive program for fitting mixtures of distributions. Ichthus Data Systems.Google Scholar
McKenna, J.E. 1991. Trophic relationships within the Antarctic demersal fish community of South Georgia Island. Fisheries Bulletin, 89, 643–654.Google Scholar
Meredith, M.P., Brandon, M.A., Murphy, E.J., Trathan, P.N., Thorpe, S.E., Bone, D.G., Chernyshkov, P.P. & Sushin, V.A. 2005. Variability in the hydrographic conditions to the east and northwest of South Georgia, 1996–2001. Journal of Marine Systems, 53, 143–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mucha, M. 1980. Characteristics of South Georgia icefish (Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, Norman) from the region of South Georgia Island (Antarctic) in the years 1977–1979. Polish Polar Research, 1, 163–172.Google Scholar
Mucha, M. 1984. Biomass estimates of commercial fishes in South Georgia region (by “swept area” method). Polish Polar Research, 5, 107–112.Google Scholar
Olsen, S. 1955. A contribution to the systematics and biology of Chaenichthyid fishes from South Georgia. Nytt Magasin for Zoologi, 3, 79–182.Google Scholar
Permitin, Y.Y. 1973. Fecundity and reproductive biology of icefish (Chaenichthidae), fish of the family Muraenolepidae and dragonfish (Bathydraconidae) of Scotia Sea (Antarctica). Journal of Ichthyology, 13, 204–215.Google Scholar
Reid, K. 1995. The diet of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella Peters 1875) during winter at South Georgia. Antarctic Science, 7, 241–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, K. 1996. A guide to the use of otoliths in the study of predators at South Georgia. Cambridge: British Antarctic Survey, 40 pp.Google Scholar
Reid, K., Croxall, J.P. & Prince, P.A. 1996. The fish diet of black-browed albatross Diomedea melanophris and grey-headed albatross D. chrysostoma at South Georgia. Polar Biology, 16, 469–477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, K., Davis, D. & Staniland, I.J. 2006. Spatial and temporal variability in the fish diet of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84, 1025–1037.Google Scholar
Reid, W.D.K., Clarke, S., Collins, M.A. & Belchier, M. 2007. Distribution and ecology of Chaenocephalus aceratus (Channichthyidae) around South Georgia and Shag Rocks (Southern Ocean). Polar Biology, 10.1007/s00300-007-0313-z.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rembiszewski, J.M., Krzeptowski, M. & Linkowski, T.B. 1978. Fishes (Pisces) as bycatch in fisheries of krill Euphausia superba Dana [Euphausiacea, Crustacea]. Polskie Archiwum Hydrobiologii, 25, 677–695.Google Scholar
Ross, K.A., Jones, L., Belchier, M. & Rothery, P. 2006. Bycatch of small fish in a sub-antarctic krill fishery. CCAMLR WG-EMM-06/7.Google Scholar
Shnar, V.N. & Shlibanov, V.I. 1989. Hydrological conditions and characteristics of icefish (Channichthyidae) distribution on the South Georgia shelf in 1986/87. CCAMLR Selected Scientific Papers, 1989, 3–4.Google Scholar
Siegel, V. 1980. Parasite tags on some Antarctic channichthyid fish. Archiv für Fischereiwissenschaft, 31, 97–103.Google Scholar
Sosinski, J. & Szlakowski, J. 1992. Biological characteristics and biomass estimates of the fish stocks on the South Georgia shelf in the 1986/87–1988/89 seasons. Acta Icthyologica et Piscatoria, 22, 77–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Targett, T.E. 1981. Trophic ecology and structure of coastal Antarctic fish communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 4, 243–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traczyk, R. 1992. Analysis of the microincrements rhythmic structures in otolith for the age, growth of the Antarctic fish Pseudochaenichthys georgianus Norman, 1939 off South Georgia area. M.Sc thesis, University of Gdańsk, 166 pp [Unpublished].Google Scholar