DISTRIBUTION AND GENERAL NOTES ON THE SPECIES 34i 



keeps close in to the land. In the Patagonian region we captured specimens of this very small species 

 at one trawling station only: WS89, in shallow water, where three were taken in one of the ' accessory 

 nets'. Other specimens were obtained for Norman's 1937 report as follows: 



Port Stanley 24 (under stones, A. G. B. coll.) 



New Island (West Falkland) 3 (J. E. H. coll.) 



WS749 3 (in NR) 

 WS832 I (in NR) 



None of these exceeded a length of 10 cm. If readily available between tidemarks at the Falkland 

 Islands, Harpagifer might be useful as bait. 



CHAENICHTHYIDAE 

 Champsocephalus esox (Gunther). This species occurred with some frequency in trawl catches on the 

 rough ground near the Falkland Islands in the southern region. A single large specimen was taken 

 farther north, at St. WS97 in 49° S: 



WS71 30 



WS73 6 



WS75 29 



WS76 I 



IVS81 I 



WS83 41 



WS84 2 



WSgs I 



WSgj 2 



WS97 I 



WS756B 2 



WS802B I 



WS823 5 



WS834 

 WS837 



51 



724 



Port Stanley 



22 (in OTL) 



2 (in seine) 



3 (A. G. B. coll.) 



Most were taken in autumn, and none during the winter survey when a large proportion of the 

 stations were worked in deep water beyond the shelf edge. The species is, indeed, very much an 

 inhabitant of the plain of the shelf, judging by the depth distribution shown in Fig. 42. From this it 



can be seen that while a few have been taken in shallow 



LENGTH. CMS littoral waters there was only a single specimen from 



beyond the shelf edge. From Bennett's notes, quoted 

 by Norman (1937, p- 96), it would seem that if there is 

 any inshore migration of Champsocephalus, it will take 

 place in late summer or autumn, for his records of the 

 infrequent capture of the species in littoral waters at the 

 Falkland Islands all date from that season. 



The length frequencies of our autumn-caught speci- 

 mens (Fig. 41) show two very strong modes at 15 and 

 at 28 cm. If these indicate year classes it follows either 

 that this species is of extremely rapid growth,^ or that 

 ''"■"■ r;£r^;l*?;iXTi.°r""'"- a„ intermediate year class ts entirely lacking in our 



samples. The presence of such an mtermediate year class 

 would indeed, bring the growth rate into line with that observed for Notothenia ramsayi, a related 

 fish of much the same size, but it is extremely difficult to see why such an intermediate age group 

 should be absent from the grounds frequented by both younger and older fish of the same species. 

 Moreover in view of our extensive observations, coupled with those of Hamilton and Bennett in 

 littoral waters, we should certainly expect to have found evidence of such a group somewhere if it 



actually exists. . „ • u 



Champsocephalus esox, which has near relatives in the Antarctic Zone, is excellent eating: much 

 firmer and of better flavour than most Nototheniiformes. Unfortunately, we rarely captured it in any 

 great quantity, and our largest specimen was only 36 cm. long, so that it is unlikely that the 'pike', 

 as it is called in the Falkland Islands, could be exploited profitably. 



1 14 cm. in its second year. Among better-known fishes of similar size such a rate is approached by estuarine pollack and 

 whiting, which later descend to the sea (Hartley, 1940, pp. 47-5°)- 



