Fish · notothenioid

Antarctic silverfish

Pleuragramma antarctica

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic A single ocean

Depth

From the surface to 1,000 m, adults mostly below 400 m

Size

Up to about 25 cm

Diet

Copepods, krill larvae, small worms and chaetognaths

Zone

Twilight zone · 200 – 1,000 m

Key facts

• It is the only true open-water fish of the Antarctic.
• With no swim bladder, it floats thanks to fat sacs under its muscles.
• Its eggs hatch wedged among the ice crystals under the sea ice.
• It can live 20 years and only starts spawning at 7 to 9 years old.

Verified sources

1. FishBase : Pleuragramma antarcticum
2. Fishes of Australia : Pleuragramma antarctica
3. Eastman & DeVries : poches de graisse et flottabilité
4. Vacchi et al. 2012, Polar Biology : nurserie sous la glace de mer

In the game: Prey: +10 points

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