Multidisciplinary approach to determine the influence of human pressure on nearshore Antarctic fish.

Concentrations of five metals together with hematological and morphological parameters were measured in three coastal fish species collected in two sites of the Antarctic Peninsula. Furthermore, we assessed isotopic niche widths among fish populations to better understand their trophic ecology. Nothotenia coriiceps from Fildes Bay displayed high concentrations of Fe and Cu, while those from South Bay had higher concentrations of Cd.

Morphology and diet are decoupled in nearshore notothenoids from King George Island, West Antarctica.

Antarctic notothenioid fishes show wide adaptive morphological radiation, linked to habitat preferences and food composition. However, direct comparisons of phenotypic variability and feeding habits are still lacking, particularly in stages inhabiting nearshore areas. To assess these relationships, we collected juveniles and adults of the most common benthic species inhabiting shallow waters off the South Shetland Islands within a similar size range, the plunderfish Harpagifer antarcticus, the black rockcod Notothenia coriiceps, and the marbled rockcod Notothenia rossii.

Feeding Ecology of under Different Environmental Conditions in the West Antarctic Peninsula.

To study how can influence the spatial structure of Antarctic benthic communities and how they respond to disturbance, it is necessary to assess potential dietary shifts in different habitats. We investigated the diets of from Maxwell Bay and South Bay in the West Antarctic Peninsula. A multifaceted approach was applied including in situ observations of cardiac stomach everted contents, isotopic niche, and trophic diversity metrics.