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Modified fin morphology in mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) may indicate nesting behaviour

Lookup NU author(s): Huw JamesORCiD, Dr Fabrice StephensonORCiD, Dr William Reid

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Monitoring reproductive traits in Southern Ocean species is challenging. Males in some channichthyids thicken the epithelium along their anal fins to aid nest construction. This study presents initial evidence that the only commercially harvested channichthyid, mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari), exhibits modifications to their anal fins, and that these features are ephemeral and possibly sexually dimorphic. The evidence presented may indicate nesting behaviour, although further work is necessary to validate this hypothesis. Confirming icefish nesting sites in the Scotia Sea could provide further support for the continued prohibition of bottom trawling.

Publication metadata

Author(s): James HW, Stephenson F, Collins MA, Hill SL, Reid WDK

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Fish Biology

Year: 2026

Pages: epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 11/06/2026

Acceptance date: 02/06/2026

Date deposited: 22/06/2026

ISSN (print): 0022-1112

ISSN (electronic): 1095-8649

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70531

DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70531

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