Bald notothen
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| Bald notothen | ||||||||||||||
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| Pagothenia borchgrevinki Boulenger, 1902 |
The bald notothen (Pagothenia borchgrevinki) is a cryopelagic fish of the Southern Ocean. Antifreeze proteins in its blood prevent it freezing in the sub-zero water temperatures of Antarctica. It is found in the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea, the Davis Sea, in Vincennes Bay, and around the Budd Coast, the Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkneys and South Shetland Islands.
Growing to a maximum length of about 28 cm (11 in), it is yellow with dark spots and irregular crossbars. Its dorsal and caudal fins may occasionally also be spotted.
It spends most of the time under the ice at depths to 550 m (1805 ft) where it feeds on copepods and krill. It is preyed upon by the Ploughfish, Gymnodraco acuticeps, the Antarctic Cod, Dissostichus mawsoni as well as the Emperor Penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri.
[edit] References
- Pagothenia borchgrevinki (TSN 642902). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 11 May 2007.
- "Pagothenia borchgrevinki". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
