Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass
Within the twilight of the oceanic mesopelagic realm, 200–1000 m below sea level, are potentially vast resources of fish. Collectively, these mesopelagic fishes are the most abundant vertebrates on Earth, and this global fish community plays a vital role in the function of oceanic ecosystems. The bi...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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2019
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1983/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/199595638/Full_text_PDF_final_published_version_.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066824143&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b 2024-02-11T09:57:45+01:00 Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass Dornan, Tracey Fielding, Sophie Saunders, Ryan A. Genner, Martin J. 2019-05-29 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/1983/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/199595638/Full_text_PDF_final_published_version_.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066824143&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Dornan , T , Fielding , S , Saunders , R A & Genner , M J 2019 , ' Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass ' , Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , vol. 286 , no. 1903 , 20190353 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 Acoustics Biomass Ecosystem Mesopelagic fish Myctophid Southern Ocean article 2019 ftubristolcris https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 2024-01-25T23:31:39Z Within the twilight of the oceanic mesopelagic realm, 200–1000 m below sea level, are potentially vast resources of fish. Collectively, these mesopelagic fishes are the most abundant vertebrates on Earth, and this global fish community plays a vital role in the function of oceanic ecosystems. The biomass of these fishes has recently been estimated using acoustic survey methods, which rely on echosounder-generated signals being reflected from gas-filled swimbladders and detected by transducers on vessels. Here, we use X-ray computed tomography scans to demonstrate that several of the most abundant species of mesopelagic fish in the Southern Ocean lack gas-filled swimbladders. We also show using catch data from survey trawls that the fish community switches from fish possessing gas-filled swimbladders to those lacking swimbladders as latitude increases towards the Antarctic continent. Thus, the acoustic surveys that repeatedly show a decrease in mesopelagic fish biomass towards polar environments systematically overlook a large proportion of fish species that dominate polar seas. Importantly, this includes lanternfish species that are key prey items for top predators in the region, including king penguins and elephant seals. This latitudinal community switch, from gas to non-gas dominance, has considerable implications for acoustic biomass estimation, ecosystem modelling and long-term monitoring of species at risk from climate change and potential exploitation. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals King Penguins Southern Ocean University of Bristol: Bristol Research Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286 1903 20190353 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Bristol: Bristol Research |
op_collection_id |
ftubristolcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Acoustics Biomass Ecosystem Mesopelagic fish Myctophid Southern Ocean |
spellingShingle |
Acoustics Biomass Ecosystem Mesopelagic fish Myctophid Southern Ocean Dornan, Tracey Fielding, Sophie Saunders, Ryan A. Genner, Martin J. Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
topic_facet |
Acoustics Biomass Ecosystem Mesopelagic fish Myctophid Southern Ocean |
description |
Within the twilight of the oceanic mesopelagic realm, 200–1000 m below sea level, are potentially vast resources of fish. Collectively, these mesopelagic fishes are the most abundant vertebrates on Earth, and this global fish community plays a vital role in the function of oceanic ecosystems. The biomass of these fishes has recently been estimated using acoustic survey methods, which rely on echosounder-generated signals being reflected from gas-filled swimbladders and detected by transducers on vessels. Here, we use X-ray computed tomography scans to demonstrate that several of the most abundant species of mesopelagic fish in the Southern Ocean lack gas-filled swimbladders. We also show using catch data from survey trawls that the fish community switches from fish possessing gas-filled swimbladders to those lacking swimbladders as latitude increases towards the Antarctic continent. Thus, the acoustic surveys that repeatedly show a decrease in mesopelagic fish biomass towards polar environments systematically overlook a large proportion of fish species that dominate polar seas. Importantly, this includes lanternfish species that are key prey items for top predators in the region, including king penguins and elephant seals. This latitudinal community switch, from gas to non-gas dominance, has considerable implications for acoustic biomass estimation, ecosystem modelling and long-term monitoring of species at risk from climate change and potential exploitation. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dornan, Tracey Fielding, Sophie Saunders, Ryan A. Genner, Martin J. |
author_facet |
Dornan, Tracey Fielding, Sophie Saunders, Ryan A. Genner, Martin J. |
author_sort |
Dornan, Tracey |
title |
Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
title_short |
Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
title_full |
Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
title_fullStr |
Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
title_full_unstemmed |
Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
title_sort |
swimbladder morphology masks southern ocean mesopelagic fish biomass |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1983/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/f017b31d-f153-44b9-8a65-46a1c5397d8b https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/199595638/Full_text_PDF_final_published_version_.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066824143&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals King Penguins Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals King Penguins Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Dornan , T , Fielding , S , Saunders , R A & Genner , M J 2019 , ' Swimbladder morphology masks Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish biomass ' , Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , vol. 286 , no. 1903 , 20190353 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0353 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
286 |
container_issue |
1903 |
container_start_page |
20190353 |
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1790593296015294464 |