Chinese Journal of Polar Research

Chinese Journal of Polar Research ›› 2020, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (1): 82-89.DOI: 10.13679/j.jdyj.20190001

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Fatty acid composition of Spiny Icefish (Chaenodraco Wilsoni) in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctic during summer-autumn 2016 and its implication to diet

Wu Ruijie1, Yang Qingyuan1,2,3, Zhu Guoping1,2,3,4   

  1. 1.College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
    2.Center for Polar Research, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
    3.Polar Marine Ecosystem Group, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oeanic Fisheries resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China;
    4.National Engineering research Center for Oceanic Fisheries, Shanghai 201306, China
  • Received:2018-12-29 Revised:2019-05-20 Online:2020-03-30 Published:2020-03-30
  • Contact: Rui-Jie WU

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Abstract:

Spiny icefish (Chaenodraco wilsoni) plays an important role in the transfer of energy between marine predators and prey organisms, and is the target species of the demersal trawl fishery late 1970s and is one of bycatch species for the Antarctic krill fishery in recent years. However, information on its diet and nutritional characteristics are very limited. We analyzed the content and composition of fatty acids in muscle tissues of spiny icefish collected from the Bransfield Strait, and further explored the diet of spiny icefish using marker fatty acids. Standard lengths of fish samples ranged from 4.8 to 30.7 cm and wet weights ranged from 0.3 to 250.5 g. We found 29 fatty acids, of which C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 n9c, C20:5 n3 (EPA) and C22:6 n3 (DHA), were dominant; polyunsaturated fatty acid was the most abundant, followed by saturated fatty acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids were the least abundant. There was no statistically significant correlation between fish size and marker fatty acids, indicating that the diet of spiny icefish was not varied with ontogeny. Spiny icefish is omnivorous, and feed mainly on diatoms and Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) during autumn and winter, some benthic organisms, copepods and seabed debris are fed by this species.

Key words: spiny icefish, fatty acid, feeding habit, Bransfield Strait