Originally published: Dural, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Pub., 2006.

Biology of Antarctic Fish presents the most recent findings on the biology of fish in the unique environment of the Antarctic ocean. At present the year-round temperature of the coastal waters is very near -1,87 ° C, the equilibrium temperature of the ice-seawater mixture. This extremely low temperature affects different levels of organization of fish life: individuals, organ systems, cells, organelles, membranes, and molecules. Exploring ecology, evolution, and life history as well as physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of Antarctic fish the book describes the mechanisms of cold adaptation at all these levels. It provides material for discussion also for fundamental questions in the field of adaptation to an extreme environment and therefore is of particular interest not only to specialized scientists, but also to those involved in basic and evolutionary biology.

Although Antarctic finfish have been exploited for more than two decades and many stocks now appear to be overfished, this is the first detailed account of this fishery. The book begins by giving a comprehensive description of Antarctic fish biology and ecology, the thorough understanding of which is a prerequisite to sound management of the fishery. Subsequent sections consider the course of finfish exploitation and the present state of exploited fish stocks in the Southern Ocean. The author concludes by proposing more effective management methods for the fish resources of the Southern Ocean in light of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

The Antarctic fish fauna has evolved over a long period of geographic and climatic isolation. In the course of this evolution, Antarctic fish have developed specialized adaptations, some of which characterize these organisms as unique. In strong contrast to the continental shelf faunas elsewhere, the Antarctic shelf ichthyofauna is dominated by a single highly endemic group, the Notothenioidei. This group of perciform fish probably first appeared and diversified in the early Tertiary. The development of the Polar Front (referred to as the Antarctic Convergence in the older literature) resulted in a natural oceanographic barrier to migration in either direction, and thus became a key factor in the evolution of Antarctic fish. The dominance of the Antarctic continental shelf fauna by a single taxonomic group of fish provides a simplified natural laboratory for exploring the wealth of physiological, biochemical and ecological adaptations that characterize the fauna. Understanding of the patterns of adaptation in this highly specialized group of fish can tell us much about of evolution.

This book represents the state-of-the-art of Antarctic fish research, as a result of multidisciplinary approaches and multinational collaborative efforts. Of particular interest is, therefore, the interaction between traditional taxonomists, evolutionary biologists, physiologists and molecular scientists. Several chapters present, for the first time, a comparative analysis between the Antarctic and Arctic ichthyofauna. The difference in the two polar environments entail important implications in the mechanisms of adaptation in fish.

This important volume provides an original synthesis and novel overview of Antarctic fish biology, detailing the evolution of these fish in some of the most unusual and extreme environments in the world. Focusing on one group of fish, the notothenoioids, which contain the majority of the current organismal diversity, this book describes a fauna that has evolved in isolation and experienced incredible adaptive radiation by acquiring numerous physiological specializations. Darwin's finches and African cichlids may be joined by Antarctic fishes as exemplars of adaptive radiation.The books' coverage is detailed and comprehensive, and the author clearly recognizes the fact that these fish are a component of a most interesting and biologically unique ecosystem and environment. Topics in Antarctic Fish Biology include past and present environments, fossil records, taxonomic composition of fauna, systematic relationships, diversification, and physiological adaptations.

This book encompasses the body of available scientific information on the notothenioid fish Pleuragramma antarctica commonly known as Antarctic silverfish. This plankton-feeder of the intermediate trophic level is the most abundant fish in the coastal regions of high Antarctica, and plays a pivotal ecological role as the main prey of top predators like seals, penguins, whales and Antarctic toothfish. Broad circum-polar distribution, a key role in the Antarctic shelf pelagic ecosystem, and adaptations makes understanding the species’ likely response to environmental change relevant to foresee the potential responses at the local ecosystem level. Additionally, a detailed understanding of the abundance and trophic interactions of such a dominant keystone species is a vital element of informing the development of marine spatial planning and marine protected areas in the Antarctic continental shelf region. Experts in the field provide here unique insights into the evolutionary adaptation, eco-physiology, trophic ecology, reproductive and population ecology of the Antarctic silverfish and provide new clues about its vulnerability in facing the challenges of the ongoing environmental changes.

Devoted to fishes of high latitudes (Arctic and Antarctic). This book includes themes such as: the uniqueness of the physiology of fishes that live in cold polar environments, an analysis of physiological patterns exemplified by fishes that live poles apart, and how fishes differ from fishes living in more temperate and tropical habitats.

The study of Antarctic communities can provide a valuable step forward in investigating the control of community development, the utilization of habitats and the interaction among species in both species rich and species poor communities. This book contains chapters characterizing the present approaches to both aquatic and terrestrial communities in the Antarctic. From biodiversity to trophic flows, from ecophysiological strategies to the impacts of environmental change and the effects of human disturbance, this volume provides an up to the minute overview of community studies in an area covering ten percent of the Earth's surface.