Fish and zooplankton from RMT-8 net hauls on the BROKE voyage ...

• Main Author: Australian Antarctic Data Centre
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Australian Antarctic Data Centre 2023
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; E. Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.15468/xenwtm; https://www.gbif.org/dataset/12d4db8d-5529-43da-b790-2796cfd5c09b

Distribution patterns of pelagic fish, larvae and juveniles collected by RMT trawls during BROKE survey to CCAMLR Division 58.4.1 were investigated. Nearly 2000 individuals, weighing 1210 g, were collected from approximately 1.5 million cubic metres of the upper 200 m of ocean, supporting the theory that Antarctic ichthyoplankton has low biomass. The collection consisted mainly of P. antarcticum larvae and juveniles and E. antarctica sub-adults, with a range of other notothenioid fish and myctophids. Three distinct biogeographic zones, with characteristic ichthyo- and zooplankton assemblages, were identified. The Oceanic Zone was dominated by myctophids and, in the western reaches, the paralepidid N. coasti. The shelf break zone comprised of myctophids, and the juveniles of notothenioid fish. The shelf zone consisted of notothenioid juveniles and sub-adults. Characteristic water masses and associated zooplankton assemblages were found throughout these three zones. Analysis of fish stomach contents indicated ...