The Digital Fish Library

Distribution:
Coastal Antarctic and Southern Hemisphere

Habitat:
Marine; rare in brackish water.

Remarks:
The family Nototheniidae, icefishes, is distributed in high attitudes of Southern Hemisphere, most species of the family occur in Antarctica. Approximately half of these benthic inhabitants live on the bottom in less than 1000 m of water. They lack a swim bladder but are compensated for by lipids and lower mineral content of bones. These opportunistic feeders seek out a wide range of preys, such as the omnipresent of krill. The Notothenioids have numerous scales on body, a spinous dorsal fin with 3-11 spine, and one to three lateral lines.

This family consists of about 12 genera with 50 species.

References: Nelson 2006; Helfman et al. 1997