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The Coastal Fish Fauna of Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica

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Ross Sea Ecology

Abstract

The coastal fish community of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) was studied from samples collected off the Italian Antarctic station Terra Nova Bay down to about 700 m depth from 1987 to 1995. Species composition, abundance and vertical distribution are reported and the biological characteristics such as feeding habits, reproduction, age and growth of the common species have been studied. Twenty-six fish species were recorded, the most common being the nototheniid Trematomus bernacchii and the channichthyid Chionodraco hamatus. As for the vertical distribution of fish, species diversity was higher in shallow than in deep waters. The fish community comprises species which exhibit three different trophic niches: T. bernacchii and Trematomus pennellii are mostly benthos feeders, Trematomus hansoni and Trematomus loennbergi are mostly piscivorous and Trematomus newnesi feeds preferentially on plankton. Differences in reproductive strategies have been found during the sampling period, i.e. January and February, when C. hamatus and T. hansoni were in a spawning condition, whereas T. bernacchii was in a resting-early development stage. The two most common species, T. bernacchii and C. hamatus, show a high longevity, living more than 20 and 10 years, respectively. Moreover, in both species the females attain slightly older age and grow faster than males.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICRAM-Istituto Centrale per la Ricerca scientifica e tecnologica Applicata al Mare, Via Lorenzo Respighi 5, 00197, Rome, Italy

    M. Vacchi & M. La Mesa

  2. CNR-Istituto Talassografico Sperimentale, Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy

    S. Greco

Authors
  1. M. Vacchi
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  2. M. La Mesa
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  3. S. Greco
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto di Scienze Ambientali Marine, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, I-16132, Genova, Italia

    Francesco Maria Faranda

  2. Dipartimento di Biologia ed Ecologia Marina, Università di Messina, Salita Sperone 31, I-98166, Messina-S. Agata, Italia

    Letterio Guglielmo

  3. Stazione Zoologica “Anton Dohrn”, Villa Comunale, I-80121, Napoli, Italia

    Adrianna Ianora

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Vacchi, M., La Mesa, M., Greco, S. (2000). The Coastal Fish Fauna of Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica. In: Faranda, F.M., Guglielmo, L., Ianora, A. (eds) Ross Sea Ecology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59607-0_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59607-0_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64048-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59607-0

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