The marine fishes of Jan Mayen Island, NE Atlantic – past and present

Abstract

Jan Mayen Island was already the focus of science during the First International Polar Year in 1882–1883, even though fish biodiversity played only a minor role. Marine investigations were conducted at irregular intervals until the area was covered by the routine research activities of the Institute of Marine Research (IMR). The objective of this paper is to present an annotated list of species recorded in the Fisheries Zone around Jan Mayen, and to give an overview of the change in species composition and distribution. The data are based on scientific collections, literature citings and the IMR database. Between 1877 and 2009, 71 fish species have been recorded in the area, of which 43 are documented by voucher specimens. The zoarcid species Lycenchelys platyrhina is endemic to the area. Results show an increase in the number of species over the last 40 years, 40 of the 71 species were registered for the first time after 1970. This, on the one hand, is due to complete catch registration and better species identification, and on the other hand, to an enlargement of the species’ distribution area and immigration into the Jan Mayen area of other species. The data provides basic information for future monitoring of the area, especially as the polar regions may be strongly affected by climate change, which may have an impact on species abundance and distribution.