Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica)

Scientific name: Pleuragramma antarctica Boulenger, 1902

Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica)

The Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica) is a marine fish of the family Nototheniidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 2°C (36°F).

Antarctic silverfish care at a glance

Temperature
2°C (36°F)

Biology

Regarded as the only truly pelagic fish in Antarctic waters. Larvae and postlarvae occur between 0 to 135 m; juveniles 50 to 400 and adults below 400 m. Postlarvae feed mainly on eggs and larvae of copepods; juveniles mainly on copepods, but take also eggs and larvae of euphausiids, polychaetes and chaetognaths. Larger items are ingested with increase in size.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pleuragramma antarctica
Family
Nototheniidae (Cod icefishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
25.0
Common length
15.0
Depth range
0–728 m (0–2388 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; depth range 0 - 728 m
Climate
Polar
Distribution
Southern Ocean: Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland, Elephant, South Orkney islands, Weddell, Bellingshausen, Ross and Davis seas, Oates, Ad?lie, Wilhelm and other coasts of East Antarctica to Prydz Bay.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.14; tm=3-4; tmax=20; Fec=4,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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