Distribution and Ecology of Fishes of the Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

Fishes were collected from twenty-two sites off the Antarctic Peninsula from 620 S to 690 S latitude in 1975. Specimens of thirty-three species representing seven families were taken. Species associations change with latitude, depth, season and substrate. The Peninsula does appear to be a zone of range overlap between the Patagonian fauna and that of the Antarctic continent. Of the thirty-three species collected, approximately one fourth represent range extensions or are newly described or previously undescribed. Based on the infor- mation reported here, and since fishes have been collected from relatively few sites, the taxonomy of many fish groups is poorly known, and habitat preferences of most fishes are unknown, we suggest that division of the Antarctic into various zoogeographic zones based on fish is not yet possible.