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Pelagic fish distribution and ontogenetic vertical migration in common mesopelagic species off Lützow-Holm Bay (Indian Ocean sector, Southern Ocean) during austral summer

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Abstract

The horizontal and vertical distributions of fish were examined off Lützow-Holm Bay in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean during midnight sun in January 2005. Fish were sampled from six discrete depth layers (0–2,000 m). The most abundant fish in layers from the surface to 200 m were larval stages of Electrona antarctica and Notolepis coatsi. In layers from 200 to 2,000 m, fish assemblages were relatively uniform among all stations and were dominated by E. antarctica (juvenile–subadult), Cyclothone microdon, and Bathylagus antarcticus. Cluster analysis revealed three epipelagic communities related to water temperature and salinity. An ontogenetic habitat shift to deeper layers was apparent for E. antarctica, N. coatsi, and B. antarcticus. Preferences for warm waters were observed in E. antarctica (larvae) and N. coatsi (preflexion to flexion larvae), although they were distributed across a broad range of temperature and salinity in epipelagic zones.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Captain Y. Koike, the staff of the TR/V Umitaka-maru, and all onboard cadets in the Advanced Course for Maritime Science and Technology for their invaluable assistance in sample collection. We also thank our scientific colleagues from NIPR, TUMSAT, and other institutes for helping process RMT samples onboard. Thanks are also due to D. Hirano, A. Ono, Y. Watanabe, and R. Toda (TUMSAT) for processing CTD and PAR data. T. Hirawake of Hokkaido University kindly provided us with SeaWiFS images during the research period to determine the position of the ice edge. This study was primarily supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Nos. 14255102 and 19255014 for T. Ishimaru and 16101001 for M. Fukuchi of the NIPR). A portion of the data analysis was conducted at facilities of the Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, by the first author.

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  1. Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan

    Masato Moteki, Naho Horimoto, Riou Nagaiwa, Kazuo Amakasu, Takashi Ishimaru & Yukuya Yamaguchi

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  1. Masato Moteki
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  2. Naho Horimoto
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  3. Riou Nagaiwa
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Correspondence to Masato Moteki.

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Moteki, M., Horimoto, N., Nagaiwa, R. et al. Pelagic fish distribution and ontogenetic vertical migration in common mesopelagic species off Lützow-Holm Bay (Indian Ocean sector, Southern Ocean) during austral summer. Polar Biol 32, 1461–1472 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0643-0

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