Abstract
Because of the clearly observed increase of the majority of fur seal and penguin populations in the Southern Ocean new developments in marine studies are attempting to quantify the impact of predators on marine resources. The predation in the sub Antarctic zone of this ocean is directed mainly to the mesopelagic fish as noted from studies at the breeding sites of predators. Guinet et al. [1], studying the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, have estimated that the annual consumption of marine seabirds and fur seals off the Kerguelen Islands was about 1.8×l06 tonnes during 1985, including 26% (0.46×106 tonnes) of Myctophidae. At that time they considered that the king penguin (Aptenodyptes patagonicus) population (173 000 pairs) takes about 146 236 tonnes of Myctophidae annually. The nearby Crozet Islands, sheltering 1 771 000 king penguins, consume about 744 700 tonnes of myctophids [1]! The potential impact of these top predators on the marine resources can be estimated when the world population size is considered. These birds are recognized to be the most specialized in the predation of mesopelagic fish, specially the Myctophidae [2–5]. However no real-time study of the pelagic fish community present in the foraging range of a top predator has ever been published. A joint ornitho-ichthyological study in summer, in the offshore Polar Frontal Zone near the eastern coast of the Kerguelen Islands (distance: 20–110 miles; bottom depth: 450 – 2300 m), was the first to investigate the pelagic fish community of the upper water column.
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
Guinet C, Cherel Y, Ridoux V, Jouventin P (1996) Consumption of marine resources by seabirds and seals in Crozet and Kerguelen waters: changes in relation to consumer biomass 1962–85. Antarct Sci 8: 22–30
Adams NJ, Klages NT (1987) Seasonal variation in the diet of the king penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus at sub-Antarctic Marion Island. J Zool Lond 212: 303–324
Hindell MA (1988) The diet of the king penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus at Macquarie Island. Ibis 130: 193–203
Klages NTW, Pemberton D, Gales RP (1990) The diets of the king and gentoo penguins at Heard Island. Aust Wild Res 17: 53–60
Ridoux V (1994) The diets and dietary segregation of seabirds at the subAntarctic Crozet Islands. Marine Ornithol 22: 1–192
Kooyman GL, Cherel Y, Le Maho Y, Croxall JP, Thorson PH, Ridoux V, Kooyman CA (1992) Diving behaviour and energetics during foraging cycles in king penguins. Ecol Monogr 62(1): 143–163
Gjøsaeter J, Kawaguchi K (1980) A review of the world resources of mesopelagic fish. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 193: 1–151
Gon O, Heemstra PC (1990) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. Grahamstown
Williams R, McEldowney A (1990) A guide to the fish otoliths from waters off the Australian Antarctic Territory, Heard and Macquarie Islands. ANARE Res Notes 75: 1–173
Smale MJ, Watson G, Hecht T (1995) Otolith atlas of Southern African marine fishes. Ichthyological Monographs of the J. L. B. Smith Institute of Ichtyology. 1: 1–253
Duhamel G, Hureau JC (1982) Données complémentaires sur l’ichtyofaune des îles australes françaises. Cybium 6(1): 65–80
Duhamel G (1987) Ichtyofaune des secteurs indien occidental et atlantique oriental de 1’océan austral. Biogéographie, cycles biologiques et dynamique des populations. Université Paris 6 thesis. Microfiche SN 87 200 447 institut d’Ethnologie
Hulley PA, Camus P, Duhamel G (1989) Ichthyological results of cruise MD-42/SIBEX II. Part 1. Fishes from RMT-8 stations, with additional records of lanternfishes (Myctophidae: Osteichthyes) from the Indian and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean. Cybium 13(1): 83–99
Duhamel G, Hulley PA (1993) Ichtyofaune méso et bathypélagique: In: Campagnes SKALP 1987 et 1988 aux îles Kerguelen à bord des navires “SKIF” et “KALPER”. Institut fraçais pour la Recherche et la Technologie Polaires. Les rapports des campagnes à la mer. 93-01 (2 vol): 285–295
Hulley PA (1981) Results of the research cruises of FRV “Walther Herwig” to South America. LVIII. Family Myctophidae (Osteichthyes. Myctophiformes). ArchFischWiss 31(1): 1–300
Charriaud E (1993) Résultats hydrologiques et météorologie. In: Campagnes SKALP 1987 et 1988 aux îles Kerguelen à bord des navires “SKIF” et “KALPER”. Institut Fran9ais pour la recherche et la Technologie Polaires. Les rapports de campagnes à la mer. 93-01. (2 vol.): 53–56
Park YH, Gamberoni L, Charriaud E (1993) Frontal structure, water mass and circulation in the Crozet Basin. J Geophys Res 98: 12361–12385
Bekker VE (1985) Distribution of myctophid fishes and the position of the biogeographical border between the islands of Saint-Paul and Kerguelen. J Ichthyol 25(2): 159–162
Lubimova TG, Shust KV, Popkov VV (1987) Specific features of the ecology of mesopelagic fish of family Myctophidae of the Southern Ocean. In: Biological resources of hydrosphere and their utilisation. Biological resources of the Arctic and Antarctic. Moscow. pp 320–337
Koubbi P (1992) L’ichtyoplancton de la partie indienne de la province kerguelenienne (Bassin de Crozet et plateau de Kerguelen): identification, distribution spatio-temporelle et strategies de développement larvaire. PhD thesis. University Paris VI [Unpublished]
Hulley PA (1990) Family Myctophidae. In: Gon O. Heemstra (ed) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. Grahamstown. pp 146–178
Zemskiy AV, Zozulya (1991) A functional division of Electrona carlsbergi (Taning. 1932) area of habitat in relation to the latitudinal zonation of the Southern Ocean. In: Selected Sci Papers. 1990 (SC-CCAMLR-SSP/7). CCAMLR. Hobart. Australia. pp 369–396
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer-Verlag Italia
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Duhamel, G. (1998). The Pelagic Fish Community of the Polar Frontal Zone off the Kerguelen Islands. In: Fishes of Antarctica. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2157-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2157-0_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Milano
Print ISBN: 978-88-470-2182-2
Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2157-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive