Westarctica: Source of article predominately from Wikipedia article on Antarctic silverfish

2018-04-27T22:43:20Z

Source of article predominately from Wikipedia article on Antarctic silverfish

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[[File:Antarctic-Silverfish.jpg|thumb|Antarctic silverfish in the palm of a hand]]
'''''Pleuragramma antarcticum''''', the '''Antarctic silverfish''', is a species of cod icefish native to the [[Southern Ocean]] and the only truly pelagic fish in the waters near [[Antarctica]]. It is a keystone species in the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. While widely distributed around the Antarctic, the species appears to have largely disappeared from the western side of the northern [[Antarctic Peninsula]], based on a 2010 research cruise funded by the National Science Foundation under the US Antarctic Program.

==Description==
It usually grows to about 15 cm in length, with a maximum of 25 cm. When alive it is pink with a silver tint, but turns silver only after death. This Antarctic marine fish is one of several in the region which produce antifreeze glycopeptides as an adaptation against the extreme cold of Antarctic waters.

The postlarvae 8–17 mm in size feed on eggs of calanoids, and sea snails. Juveniles feeds on copepods, mostly on ''Oncaea curvata''.

Antarctic silverfish are an important prey species for high trophic animals, such as the [[Adélie penguin]] and the [[Weddell seal]].

[[Category:Animals of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Fish]]

Antarctic silverfish - Revision history

Westarctica: Source of article predominately from Wikipedia article on Antarctic silverfish