Abstract
A recent sample (28 specimens from South Georgia and 1 from Shag Rocks) of the plunderfish Artedidraco mirus collected in June 2004 during the ICEFISH Cruise yielded sufficient data to refute two long-held assumptions about this species: (1) it is endemic to South Georgia; (2) its mental barbel is sexually dimorphic (tapered in females and club-shaped with papillae in males). A. mirus exhibits three types of mental barbel: A: tapered without a terminal expansion; B: with a narrow terminal expansion composed of simple papillae; C: with a wide terminal expansion composed of convoluted or elaborately branched papillae. There is no correlation between barbel type and body size or sex. We also found sexual dimorphism in the relative height of the second dorsal fin (30% higher on average in males) and in the colour of the anal fin (black in males over 60 mm SL). The largest males possess a prominent ruffled urogenital papilla, also black in colour. Barbel histology resembles that of other artedidraconids (Dolloidraco longedorsalis, Pogonophryne scotti) studied in containing large nerve trunks and blood vessels lateral to a pseudocartilaginous core and dermal papillae with an extensive network of nerves and blood vessels. The high degree of intraspecific variation in artedidraconid barbel structure warrants caution in using this structure as a diagnostic taxonomic character.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson M (1994) Sexual selection. Monograph in behavior and ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Andriashev AP (1967) Review of the plunderfishes of the genus Pogonophryne Regan (Harpagiferidae) with descriptions of five new species from the East Antarctic and South Orkney Islands. Biol Results Sov Antarct Exped (1955–1958) 3:389–412
Burren P (1988) Reproductive biology of Harpagifer sp. at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. MSc Thesis, University College of North Wales
Daniels RA (1978) Nesting behaviour of Harpagifer bispinis in Arthur Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula. J Fish Biol 12:465–474
DeWitt HH, Hureau JC (1979) Fishes collected during “Hero” Cruise 72-2 in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica, with the description of two new genera and three new species. Bull Mus Natl Hist Nat Paris 1:775–820
Eakin RR (1981) Osteology and relationships of the fishes of the Antarctic family Harpagiferidae (Pisces, Notothenioidei). In: Kornicker LS (ed) Antarctic research series, vol 31, Biology of the Antarctic Seas IX. American Geophysical Union, Washington, pp 81–147
Eakin RR (1990) Artedidraconidae. In: Gon O, Heemstra PC (eds) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, pp 332–356
Eakin RR, Eastman JT, Jones CD (2001) Mental barbel variation in Pogonophryne scotti Regan (Pisces: Perciformes: Artedidraconidae). Antarct Sci 13:363–370
Eastman JT (2005) The nature of the diversity of Antarctic fishes. Polar Biol 28:93–107
Eastman JT, Eakin RR (2000) An updated species list for notothenioid fish (Perciformes: Notothenioidei), with comments on Antarctic species. Arch Fish Mar Res 48:11–20
Eastman JT, Eakin RR (2001) Mental barbel and meristic variation in the Antarctic notothenioid fish Dolloidraco longedorsalis (Perciformes: Artedidraconidae) from the Ross Sea. Polar Biol 24:729–734
Eastman JT, Hikida RS (1991) Skin structure and vascularization in the Antarctic notothenioid fish Gymnodraco acuticeps. J Morphol 208:347–365
Eastman JT, Hubold G (1999) The fish fauna of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Antarct Sci 11:293–304
Gerasimchuk VV (1989) On the sexual dimorphism of white-blood fishes Chaenodraco wilsoni and Chionodraco hamatus (Channichthyidae: Perciformes). Zool Zhur 68:142–146
Gosztonyi AE, Lopez-Arbarello A (2000) Sexual dimorphism in Patagonotothen sima (Richardson, 1844). Antarct Sci 12:427–428
Harder W (1975) Anatomy of fishes. E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart
Helfman GS, Collette BB, Facey DE (1997) The diversity of fishes. Blackwell, Malden
Hubold G (1992) Zur Ökologie der Fische im Weddellmeer. Ber Polarforsch 103:1–157
Iwami T, Abe T (1981) The collection of fishes trawled in the Ross Sea. Antarct Rec Natl Inst Polar Res Tokyo 71:130–141
Iwami T, Kock K-H (1990) Channichthyidae. In: Gon O, Heemstra PC (eds) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. JLB Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, pp 381–399
Kock K-H, Kellermann A (1991) Reproduction in Antarctic notothenioid fish. Antarct Sci 3:125–150
La Mesa M, Vacchi M (2005) On the second record of the Antarctic plunderfish Artedidraco glareobarbatus (Artedidraconidae) from the Ross Sea. Polar Biol 29:40–43
Lönnberg E (1905) The fishes of the Swedish South Polar Expedition. Wissensch Ergeb Schwed Südpolar-Exped 1901–1903 5:1–72
Mayr E, Ashlock PD (1991) Principles of systematic zoology, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, NewYork
Miller RG (1993) History and atlas of the fishes of the Antarctic Ocean. Foresta Institute for Ocean and Mountain Studies, Carson City
Neat FC, Locatello L, Rasotto MB (2003) Reproductive morphology in relation to alternative male reproduction tactics in Scartella cristata. J Fish Biol 62:1381–1391
Norman JR (1938) Coast fishes. Part III. The Antarctic zone. Discovery Rep 18:1–104
North AW (2001) Early life history strategies of notothenioids at South Georgia. J Fish Biol 58:496–505
Olsen S (1955) A contribution to the systematics and biology of chaenichthyid fishes from South Georgia. Nytt Mag Zool 3:79–93
Rae GA, Calvo J (1995) Fecundity and reproductive habits in Patagonotothen tessellata (Richardson, 1845) from the Beagle Channel, Argentina. Antarct Sci 7:235–240
Regan CT (1913) The Antarctic fishes of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. Trans R Soc Edin 49:229–292
Underwood AJ (1997) Experiments in ecology: their logical design and interpretation using analysis of variance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Zander CD (1975) Secondary sex characteristics of blennioid fishes (Perciformes). Pubbl Staz Zool Napoli 39(Suppl):717–727
Acknowledgments
We thank the captain, crew and personnel of Raytheon Polar Services aboard the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer for their excellent assistance during the cruise. Thanks also to Massimiliano Bottaro, Milena Modena, Mariachiara Chiantore, Paolo Guidetti and Sara Ferrando for their readily available help during this study. We are also grateful to Federico Mazzei for photographing the intact barbels and to Danette Pratt for assembling Fig. 1. We thank Drs. Paul Brickle and Tony North for helpful comments on improving the manuscript. Supported by National Science Foundation grant ANT 04-36190 to JTE. The ICEFISH cruise was supported by National Science Foundation grant OPP 01-32032 to H. William Detrich (Northeastern University). This is publication number 14 from the ICEFISH Cruise of 2004 (H.W. Detrich, Chief Scientist).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eakin, R.R., Eastman, J.T. & Vacchi, M. Sexual dimorphism and mental barbel structure in the South Georgia plunderfish Artedidraco mirus (Perciformes: Notothenioidei: Artedidraconidae). Polar Biol 30, 45–52 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0158-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0158-x