Abstract
Species of the Antarctic fish genus Trematomus occupy different trophic niches. It is not clear, however, whether small-scale variability in benthic community structure affects niche separation. Therefore abundance and biomass of fish were determined and stomach content and food composition were compared in areas affected by iceberg scours and unaffected areas in the Weddell Sea. Trematomus eulepidotus, T. lepidorhinus and T. scotti dominate undisturbed areas, whereas T. nicolai and especially T. pennellii dominate disturbed areas. Total stomach content and number of prey taxa per fish are higher in preferred than in non-preferred areas. These findings indicate that small-scale horizontal patterns caused by iceberg scours play a distinct role in Trematomus niche separation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anonymous (1999) Station list. In: Arntz WE, Gutt J (eds) The expedition ANTARKTIS XV/3 (EASIZ II) of RV Polarstern. Rep Polar Res 301 /99: 208 – 223
Arntz WE, Brey T, Gallardo VA (1994) Antarctic zoobenthos. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 32: 241 – 304
Barnes PW, Schell D, Reimnitz E (1984) The Alaskan Beaufort Sea: ecosystem and environments. Academic Press, San Diego
Brey T, Clarke A (1993) Population dynamics of marine benthic invertebrates in Antarctic and Subantarctic environments: are there unique adaptations? Antarct Sci 8: 3 – 6
Dayton PK, Robilliard GA, Paine RT, Dayton LB (1974) Biological accommodation in the benthic community at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Ecol Monogr 44: 105 – 128
Dowdeswell JA, Villinger H, Whittington RJ, Marienfeld P (1993) Iceberg scouring in Scoresby Sund and on the East Greenland continental shelf. Mar Geol 111: 37 – 53
Eastman JT (1985) The evolution of neutrally buoyant notothenoid fishes: their specializations and potential interactions in the antarctic marine food web. In: Siegfried RW, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 430 – 436
Ekau W (1988)komorphologie nototheniider Fische aus dem Weddellmeer, Antarktis. Rep Polar Res 51/88:
Gon O, Heemstra PC (1990) Fishes of the southern ocean, 1st edn. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. CTP, Capetown
Gruzov YN, Propp MV, Pushkin AF (1968) Biological associations of coastal areas of the Davis Sea (based on the observations of divers). Sov Antarct Exped Inf Bull 6: 523 – 533
Gutt J, Storch V, Arntz WE (1998) Benthosforschung im Südpolarmeer: Störung schafft Vielfalt. Biol Zeit 6 /98: 362 – 370
Gutt J, Buschmann A, Dijkstra J, Dimmler W, Piepenburg D, Teixido (1999) Study on benthic resilience of the macro- and megabenthos by imaging methods. Rep Polar Res 301 /99: 17 – 22
Kauffmann TA (1974) Seasonality and disturbance in benthic communities, Arthur Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula. Antarct JUS 9: 307 – 310
Lien R, Solheim A, Elverhøi A, Rokoengen K (1989) Iceberg scouring and sea bed morphology on the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Res 7: 43 – 57
Peck L, Brockington S, Vanhove S, Beghyn M (1999) Community recovery following catastrophic iceberg impacts in a soft-sediment shallow-water site at Signy Island, Antarctica. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 186: 1 – 8
Schwarzbach W (1988) Die Fischfauna des éstlichen und sédlichen Weddellmeeres: geographische Verbreitung, Nahrung und trophische Stellung der Fischarten. Rep Polar Res 54/88:
Starmans A (1997) Vergleichende Untersuchung zur ékologie und Biodiversität des Mega-Epibenthos der Arktis und Antarktis. Rep Polar Res 250/97:
Woodworth-Lynas CMT, Josenhans HW, Barrie JV, Lewis CFM, Parrott DR (1991) The physical processes of seabed disturbance during iceberg grounding and scouring. Cont Shelf Res 11:939– 961
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Brenner, M. et al. (2002). The role of icebeg scours in niche separation within the Antarctic fish genus Trematomus . In: Arntz, W.E., Clarke, A. (eds) Ecological Studies in the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59419-9_28
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59419-9_28
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-63973-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59419-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive