Gill arches of fishes of the suborder Notothenioidei (Pisces, Perciformes)

• Main Authors: Tetsuo Iwami, Tokiharu Abe
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Institute od Biological Sciences, University of Tukuba 1984
• Subjects: Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1617; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001617/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1617&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Gill-arch structures of 34 species belonging to five families of the suborder Notothenioidei were studied in detail. Remarkable differences among notothenioid gill arches were recognized mainly in the degree of ossification of basibranchials, the dentition on the epibranchial, and the shapes of the hypobranchial and pharyngobranchials. On the basis of the character analyses of these osteological features, the relationships among notothenioid families were inferred. The family Bovichthyidae was recognized as the most primitive group among five families, while the Channichthyidae seemed to be the most advanced one. The Harpagiferidae was clearly identified as a distinct family from the Nototheniidae.