| Nototheniidae |
|---|
|
|---|
|
|
| Species |
|
Genus Aethotaxis
mitopteryx
Genus Cryothenia
peninsulae
Genus Dissostichus
eleginoides
mawsoni
Genus Gobionotothen
acuta
barsukovi
gibberifrons
marionensis
Genus Gvozdarus
svetovidovi
Genus Lepidonotothen
kempi
larseni
macrophthalma
mizops
nudifrons
squamifrons
Genus Notothenia
angustata
coriiceps
cyanobrancha
microlepidota
rossii
Genus Pagothenia
borchgrevinki
brachysoma
Genus Paranotothenia
dewitti
magellanica
Genus Patagonotothen (all non-Antarctic)
brevicauda
canina
cornucola
elegans
guntheri
jordani
kreffti
longipes
ramsayi
sima
squamiceps
tessellata
thompsoni
wiltoni
Genus Pleuragramma
antarcticum
Genus Trematomus
bernacchii
eulepidotus
hansoni
lepidorhinus
loennbergii
newnesi
nicolai
pennellii
scotti
tokarevi
vicarius
|
Fish of the perciform, suborder Notothenioidei includes eight families with 43 genera and 122 species. Ninety-six species inhabit Antarctic waters and 26 are non-Antarctic. They dominate the cold shelf waters surrounding the Antarctic continent. They comprise 45% of the Antarctic fish fauna. However in many areas of the Antarctic shelf, including the highest latitudes, notothenioids make up 77% of the species and 90–95% of fish abundance and biomass.
Typically variation in the barbel, a key taxonomic character, separates the species. Hence, they are erroneously identified as cods (Gadidae). Unlike cods, they lack swim bladders. As the dominant Antarctic fish species, they occupy both sea bottom and water column ecological niches. Although lacking a swimbladder, they have undergone a depth-related diversification, such as increase in fatty tissues and body density approaching neutral, to fill a variety of water column niches. As the chilly subantarctic waters averages –1 to –4 degrees Celsius, Antarctic species have anitfreeze proteins in their blood.
As Antarctica is surrounded by currents which kept the frigid waters separate from the world's oceans, this trait favours the Notothenioidei to the virtual exclusion of other fish species which are not adapted to the subzero water temperatures. Some species also exhibit morphism, for example, the circum-Antarctic nototheniid Trematomus newnesi exists as two morphs in the Ross Sea, the typical morph and a large mouth/broad headed morph.
As the major fish resource in the Southern Ocean, notothenioids are under increasing pressure from commercial fishing.
