Photographic survey of benthos provides insights into the Antarctic fish fauna from the Marguerite Bay slope and the Amundsen Sea

Abstract

AbstractWe reviewed photographic images of fishes from depths of 381–2282 m in Marguerite Bay and 405–2007 m in the Amundsen Sea. Marguerite Bay fishes were 33% notothenioids and 67% non-notothenioids. Channichthyids (47%) and nototheniids (44%) were the most abundant notothenioids. The deep-living channichthyidChionobathyscus dewitti(74%) and the nototheniid genusTrematomus(66%) were the most abundant taxa within these two families. The most abundant non-notothenioids were the macrouridMacrourus whitsoni(72%) and zoarcids (18%). Amundsen Sea fishes were 87% notothenioids and 13% non-notothenioids, the latter exclusivelyMacrourus whitsoni. Bathydraconids (38%) and artedidraconids (30%) were the most abundant notothenioids. We observed thatMacrourus whitsoniwas benthopelagic and benthic and infested by large ectoparasitic copepods. Juvenile (42 cm)Dissostichus mawsoniwas not neutrally buoyant and resided on the substrate at 1277 m.Lepidonotothen squamifronswas seen near and on nests of eggs in early December. APogonophrynesp. from 2127 m was not a member of the deep-living unspottedP. albipinnagroup.Chionobathyscus dewittiinhabited the water column as well as the substrate. The pelagic zoarcidMelanostigma gelatinosumwas documented in the water column a few metres above the substrate. The zoogeographic character of the Marguerite Bay fauna was West Antarctic or low-Antarctic and the Amundsen Sea was East Antarctic or high-Antarctic.