24 
EIXAR LÖNNBERG, 
(Schwed. Südpolar-Exp. 
Fishes from South Georgia. 
Eight species of fishes were described from this region by J. G. FISCHER 1885 1 2 
from the collections of the German Expedition to South Georgia 1882 — 83. The 
Swedish Expedition has had the opportunity to bring back from this isolated island 
a very valuable collection of fishes which increases its known fauna with not less 
than 10 species of which the greater part is specifically or at least subspecifically 
new to science, but the present collection has only 3 species in common with that 
from the German Expedition. Taken all together there are thus 18 species of fish 
known from the coast of South Georgia. Of these half the number (4 described by 
Fischer, and 5 here), for all we know at present, are endemic there as they have 
not been found elsewhere. Four others are as species known and described from 
other localities as well, but appear to be represented at South Georgia by a separate 
race or geographical subspecies, which in some instances is rather sharply defined 
from the main type. Only five of the whole lot, or less than a third of the known 
fauna, are, as it seems, wholly identical with fishes found in other localities as well. 
This speaks strongly for the long and complete isolation of the shore region of 
South Georgia from other shores or shallow waters. Of the fishes known from other 
localities Notothe 7 iin coriiceps may be regarded as circumpolar, and it enters also the 
true Antarctic region. “ Harpagifer has also a wide distribution from Kerguelen to 
the Magellan territory. Murænolepis has a similar distribution, but the one found 
at South Georgia aiftl in the Magellan territory seems racially different from the 
Kerguelen specimens. Notothenia macrocepliala is subantarctic circumpolar, but forms 
certainly a well defined subspecies at South Georgia. Notothenia marionensis is 
described from Marion Island as the name indicates, but the South Georgia fish 
appears to be somewhat different. Notothenia mizops is before known from Ker- 
guelen Land and the same race as the one of South Georgia is also truly antarctic. 
Two species of Trematomus , described from Victoria Land and thus truly antarctic, 
are represented by subspecies at South Georgia. The new Notothenia larseni has 
by this Expedition also been found in the true Antarctic region (conf. below p. 46). 
These facts are highly interesting because they prove that, if the circumpolar and 
widely distributed fishes which are found as well in the Magellan territory as at 
Kerguelen Land are not counted, the Ichthys of South Georgia has more affinities 
1 Jahrb. Hamburg, wiss. Anstalt für 1884. Hamburg 18S5. 
2 Victoria Land, ‘‘Southern Cross” collections. 
