326 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



BOVICHTHYIDAE 



Cottoperca gobio (Giinther). The range of this species extends to the west coast of southern Chile, 

 outside our area (Norman, 1937, p. 64). Our records show that most of our specimens were captured 

 in the southern region, though one rich haul was taken in the intermediate region at St. WS97. 

 Cottoperca was captured in the northern region twice only : 



WS71 41 

 WS73 

 WS77 

 WS79 

 WS80 



WS81 8 



WS83 57 



WS85 22 



WS86 27 



WSgo I 



WSg2 2 



WS93 31 



WSg4 4 



WS95 13 



WS97 79 



WS98 I 



WS108 I 



WS217 I 



WS218 2 



WS221 

 WS225 

 WS237 

 WS243 

 WS244 

 WS245 

 WS246 

 WS247 

 WS248 

 WS781 

 WS787 2 

 WS792A I 

 WS 795 I 



WS797C I 

 WS803 I 

 WS804A 3 

 WS804B 8 

 WS805 I 

 WS809 2 



5 

 2 



23 

 4 

 5 



22 

 I 



7 

 I 



WS814 



WS815 



WS817 



WS818A 



WS837 



WS847A 



WS847B 



WS848 



WS849 



WS850 



lVS8-^i 



WS866 



WS872 



WS874 



Port Stanley 



Puerto Acero 



WS583 



WS836 



WS867 



I 



2 



3 

 I 



2 



3 

 I 

 2 

 2 

 I 

 I 

 I 

 I 

 I 



3 with LH (A. G. B.) 

 I with LH 

 3 in BTS 

 49 in BTS 

 I in BTS 



The depth records (Fig. 42) show that Cottoperca ranges from shallow coastal waters right out to 

 the shelf edge and, rarely, beyond ; but it is mainly an inhabitant of the plain of the shelf. There does 

 not seem to be any definite migration over the shelf edge ; although the fish showed some tendency 

 to occur in deeper water in winter than at other times, this movement did not appear to be extensive. 



The widespread occurrence of this species in small numbers leaves us with measurements that 

 cannot usefully be pooled. The largest samples give a hint that the annual length increments over 

 the main growing period are around 7 cm. Somewhat larger than most of the nototheniiform fishes 

 of the area, Cottoperca commonly attains a length of some 35 cm. at a weight of about 500 g. Our 

 largest specimen was 61 cm. long, and we had several over 40 cm. The larger fishes usually occurred 

 in deeper water, but from our material the females could not be shown to be larger than males. They 

 were in fact rather smaller, which is a most unusual feature. Our few rich hauls of Cottoperca were 

 made in autumn, which suggests that schooling may take place at that season. The sex ratio appears 

 to be normal. Weight records suggest that maximum condition coincides with maximum temperatures 

 for the year in late summer. As maximum schooling seems to take place in autumn, this strengthens 

 the suggestion that spawning may take place at that season. 



Although edible and of better size than most members of the group in our area, Cottoperca is 

 unfortunately the most tasteless and undesirable of the nototheniiformes (not a very palatable group) 

 when used as human food. 



The stomach contents of thirty individuals show that Cliipea was the main food, but apart from 

 these It seems that Cottoperca gobio is mainly a bottom feeder. The other recognizable constituents 

 were: the small flatfish Thysanopsetta maresii, the Atelecyclid crab Peltarion spimdosum, and other 

 Brachyura. 



Bovichtiis argentinus MacDonagh. We took no specimens of this apparently coastal species, but a 

 young example from Puerto Madryn was given to Norman by Mr MacDonagh, and since the holotype 



