Grazing by the Antarctic fish Notothenia coriiceps: evidence for selective feeding on macroalgae.

IKEN K.; BARRERA-ORO E.; QUARTINO L.; CASAUX R,; BREY T.

ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 1997 vol. 9 p. 386 - 391

0954-1020

In Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, macroalgae provide a significant food resource for herbivores. The demersal fish Notothenia coriiceps feeds on macroalgae. Eighteen algae species were identified in stomach contents: two chlorophytes, ten rhodophites and six phaeophytes. Among these the rhodophyte Palmaria decipiens, the phaeophyte Desmarestia menziesii and the chlorophyte Monostroma hariotti comprised the greatest proportions of algal biomass. A food selection study showed four algae to be preferred (P. decipiens, M. hariotii, D. menziesii, Iridaea cordata) and two species to be avoided (Desmarestia anceps and Hmantothallus grandifolius) by N. coriiceps. The present investigation indicates that this fish feeds not only intentionally, but also selectively, on macroalgae. Prefenrece for particular algalspecies is not relatesd to associated epifaunal biomass or to associated amphipod biomass.