126
R. K. DELL
Of the 67 species of fishes recorded from Antarctic waters proper, no
less than 54 (81 %) belong to this single superfamily. Nor is this only an
apparent statistical paper predominance. Members of the superfamily
are extremely common and important ecologically in the field. A closer
analysis of the group will bring out a number of points of interest. The
genus Notothenia itself with some 30 species has a few species distributed
around the Antarctic Continent and the Scotia Arc, with a majority of
species in the Subantarctic extending to southern South America and
southern New Zealand. Most of the species are bottom fishes of the
shelf extending down to 500 m or so. Only two species occur in deeper
water down to 700 m.
The genus Trematomw on the other hand is largely confined to the
continental shelf of Antarctica. The 13 known species occur from about
20"W around to 180"E (the whole coast of East Antarctica) but only
seven species have been recorded from West Antarctica, with two species
in South Georgia. Three species, T . borchgrevincki Boulenger, T .
brachysoma Pappenheim and T . newnesi Boulenger, commonly occur in
the midwater and surface layers. The rest are largely bottom dwellers
when adult. One large group including T . scotti (Boulenger), T .
lepidorhinus (Pappenheim), T . eulepidotus Regan and T . loennbergi
Regan seem to be confked to deeper water (Andriashev, 1965, p. 501).
Three species are common in shallow water near shores, T . nicolai
(Boulenger), T . hunsoni Boulenger and T . bernacchii Boulenger. I n
McMurdo Sound, Wohlschlag (1964, p. 35) trapped T . bernacchii, T .
hunsoni and T . centronotus Regan regularly in depths up to 50 m. At
about 250 m T . bernacchii and T . hunsoni were taken by the fish traps,
while in 500 to 600m T . Zoennbergi was the main notothenioid fish
taken, Wohlschlag stressed that traps seemed to be effective only with
some benthic species. Tremtomus bernacchii must be one of the most
intensively studied of the Antarctic fishes. Some features of its biology
will be outlined later. Thus within the genus Trematomus itself there
has already been a quite remarkable series of adaptations to very different life habits. The only true pelagic, plankton feeding form in the
family is, however, Pleuragramma antarctica Boulenger which has taken
on the herring-like appearance of many fishes of similar habit.
The genus Dissostichus, especially the giant Antarctic species, D .
mawsoni Norman, became one of the Antarctic legends long before its
true nature had been appreciated by scientists.
Besides showing adaptations to various widely different ecological
niches, the Nototheniidae provide some of the commonest and most
important ecologically of the Antarctic coastal fish fauna, and the largest
by far of the Antarctic fishes. Other members of the superfamily, the
R. K. DELL
Of the 67 species of fishes recorded from Antarctic waters proper, no
less than 54 (81 %) belong to this single superfamily. Nor is this only an
apparent statistical paper predominance. Members of the superfamily
are extremely common and important ecologically in the field. A closer
analysis of the group will bring out a number of points of interest. The
genus Notothenia itself with some 30 species has a few species distributed
around the Antarctic Continent and the Scotia Arc, with a majority of
species in the Subantarctic extending to southern South America and
southern New Zealand. Most of the species are bottom fishes of the
shelf extending down to 500 m or so. Only two species occur in deeper
water down to 700 m.
The genus Trematomw on the other hand is largely confined to the
continental shelf of Antarctica. The 13 known species occur from about
20"W around to 180"E (the whole coast of East Antarctica) but only
seven species have been recorded from West Antarctica, with two species
in South Georgia. Three species, T . borchgrevincki Boulenger, T .
brachysoma Pappenheim and T . newnesi Boulenger, commonly occur in
the midwater and surface layers. The rest are largely bottom dwellers
when adult. One large group including T . scotti (Boulenger), T .
lepidorhinus (Pappenheim), T . eulepidotus Regan and T . loennbergi
Regan seem to be confked to deeper water (Andriashev, 1965, p. 501).
Three species are common in shallow water near shores, T . nicolai
(Boulenger), T . hunsoni Boulenger and T . bernacchii Boulenger. I n
McMurdo Sound, Wohlschlag (1964, p. 35) trapped T . bernacchii, T .
hunsoni and T . centronotus Regan regularly in depths up to 50 m. At
about 250 m T . bernacchii and T . hunsoni were taken by the fish traps,
while in 500 to 600m T . Zoennbergi was the main notothenioid fish
taken, Wohlschlag stressed that traps seemed to be effective only with
some benthic species. Tremtomus bernacchii must be one of the most
intensively studied of the Antarctic fishes. Some features of its biology
will be outlined later. Thus within the genus Trematomus itself there
has already been a quite remarkable series of adaptations to very different life habits. The only true pelagic, plankton feeding form in the
family is, however, Pleuragramma antarctica Boulenger which has taken
on the herring-like appearance of many fishes of similar habit.
The genus Dissostichus, especially the giant Antarctic species, D .
mawsoni Norman, became one of the Antarctic legends long before its
true nature had been appreciated by scientists.
Besides showing adaptations to various widely different ecological
niches, the Nototheniidae provide some of the commonest and most
important ecologically of the Antarctic coastal fish fauna, and the largest
by far of the Antarctic fishes. Other members of the superfamily, the