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Patterns in the distribution of myctophid fish in the northern Scotia Sea ecosystem

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Abstract

The mesopelagic fish community of the northern Scotia Sea was investigated during the austral autumn using multi-frequency acoustics, opening and closing nets and pelagic trawls fished from the surface to 1,000 m. The Family Myctophidae (15 species in 5 genera) dominated the ichthyofauna, with larval notothenids caught over the South Georgia shelf and bathylagids and stomiids abundant in deeper hauls. The biomass of myctophids was estimated to be 2.93 g wet weight 1,000 m−3, with Electrona carlsbergi, E. antarctica, Protomyctophum bolini, P. choriodon, Gymnoscopelus braueri, G. fraseri, G. nicholsi and Krefftichthys anderssoni, being the most abundant species. Analysis of community structure indicated a high level of depth stratification within the myctophids, with evidence of diurnal vertical migration in some, but not all, species. Length-frequencies of G. braueri, G. nicholsi, E. antarctica and K. anderssoni were multimodal, suggesting that all life stages may be present in the northern Scotia Sea. In contrast, P. choriodon, P. bolini, G. fraseri and E. carlsbergi had unimodal distributions despite having multi-year lifecycles, indicating that they probably migrate into the region from warmer areas to the north.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Captain Jerry Burgan and the scientists and crew on board James Clark Ross during cruise JR100. Thanks to Sophie Fielding, Charlotte Main, Richard O’Driscoll and an anonymous referee for constructive comments on the manuscript. This is a contribution to the Discovery 2010 Programme at BAS.

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Author notes

  1. Jose C. Xavier

    Present address: Centre for Marine Sciences, University of the Algarve, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Science, Campus of Gambelas, 8000 139, Faro, Portugal

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

    Martin A. Collins, Jose C. Xavier, Nadine M. Johnston, Anthony W. North, Peter Enderlein, Geraint A. Tarling, Claire M. Waluda, Elizabeth J. Hawker & Nathan J. Cunningham

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  1. Martin A. Collins
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Correspondence to Martin A. Collins.

Appendices

Appendix A

Table 5

Table 5 Details of RMT25 and IYGPT target net hauls undertaken onboard RRS James Clarke Ross (cruise 100) NW of South Georgia in March–April 2004
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Appendix B

Table 6

Table 6 Details of RMT25 depth-stratified (non-target), net hauls undertaken onboard RRS James Clarke Ross (cruise 100) NW of South Georgia in March–April 2004
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Collins, M.A., Xavier, J.C., Johnston, N.M. et al. Patterns in the distribution of myctophid fish in the northern Scotia Sea ecosystem. Polar Biol 31, 837–851 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0423-2

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