Nototheniidae
fish family
Learn about this topic in these articles:
annotated classification
- In perciform: Annotated classification
Family Nototheniidae (Antarctic cods) Miocene to present; 17 genera with about 50 species, most in subantarctic waters; some species near Antarctic continent; a few in cold temperate zone, 1 species in rivers of southern South America. Mainly bottom dwellers of littoral zone, some deepwater species resemble…
Read More
marine adaptation
- In marine ecosystem: Physical and chemical properties of seawater
Notothenid fishes in Antarctica are able to inhabit waters as cold as −2° C (28° F) because of proteins in their blood that act as antifreeze. Many organisms are able to achieve neutral buoyancy by secreting gas into internal chambers, as cephalopods do, or into…
Read More