Antarctic cod (Bald Antarctic Cod)

Pagothenia borchgrevinki

 The Antarctic cod (Nototheniidae) are representatives of the perch-like (Perciformes) that occur in the waters of the southern hemisphere around the Antarctic. Their representatives dominate these regions and account for up to 68% of the fish fauna.

Antarctic cod are eleven centimeters to 2.15 meters long. From their external shape they resemble the cod (Gadidae) or the North Pacific hexagrammids. Your body is scaled and has one to three lateral lines. The first dorsal fin is supported by three to eleven spines, the second by 25 to 42 soft rays. The number of vertebrae is 45 to 59. The gill membranes form a fold on the isthmus. The mouth can be turned forward (protractile).

Antarctic cod are strictly stenothermic and only survive at a water temperature of −2.5 to +6 ° C. Most species live benthically (on the sea floor), but some such as the plankton-eating Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica) are also pelagic. Some species are also cryopelagic; that is, they live under the ice shelf. The Antarctic cod do not have a swim bladder. Due to the very fat body tissue and a little ossified skeleton, they still have sufficient buoyancy. To adapt to the cold, they have special antifreeze proteins in their blood. Her kidney is also aglomerular. No kidney corpuscles are formed in her, the urine is not produced by ultrafiltration, but by secretion and diffusion processes in the kidney tubules. This prevents the loss of small molecules.

Characteristics ~

Scientific: Pagothenia borchgrevinki

Colloquially: Antarctic cod

English: Soon Notothen

Category: Ice fish

Food: fry, invertebrates (invertebrates), small fish, krill (Euphausiidae), crustaceans, mysis (hover shrimp), predatory lifestyle, copepods (copepods)

Difficulty level: Not suitable for home aquariums