Still working on this page…
Birds
Cape Petrel - mostly during the crossing of the Drake Passage, circling the boat
Snow Petrel - same as cape petrel, but south of 60 degrees. Pure Antarctic-white plumage.
Antarctic Tern -standing on ice floes south of the South Shetland Islands.
Adelie Penguin – large colony with lots of guano off in the distance near the Neumayer Channel
Sooty Albatross – occasional visitor during our crossing. Large and beautiful.
Getoo Penguin – a small, vocal penguin. Seen swimming and loitering at Port Lockery
Marine Mammals
Antarctic Fur Seal - on ice floes and floating on the surface of the water with fins extended into the air.
Crabeater Seal – whiter seal, often with bite marks from Leopard seal. Reposing on ice floes.
Leopard Seal – Saw this reptilian looking beast on an ice floe in the middle of the night.
Ross Seal (?) – A smaller brown true (no external ears) seal sitting on an ice floe was reminiscent of this species.
Whales – rumors of dorsal fin, but no sightings yet.
Southern Elephant seal – A beast. One of the best divers in the marine mammal world. 1500m or more for up to 2 hours!
Fishes – with some obscure notes for me to remember. I’ll replace with pictures when I have them.
Bathydraconidae - the dragonfishes
Parachannichtys charcoti
(otter trawl) Spatulate head, ridges on opercle, lateral lines U and M not connected at posterior
Gymnodraco acuticeps
(otter trawl) Pointed head dragonfish. Sharp recurved teeth at symphisis.
Akarotaxis nudiceps
(blake trawl, otter trawl) small dragofish with slight spoonbill. First ~10 scales of ULL tubed, not the rest. Middle lateral line long. Large sensory chambers on head, many not with pores to outside. No coronal pore. Dark on side, lighter on dorsal and ventral. Females very gravid. About 13cm SL
Vomeridens infuscipinnis
(otter trawl) like Akarotaxis but larger. Scaled all over with scales on preopercle and opercle. ULL with tubed scales throughout, MLL tubes scales at posterior end. 6 branchiostegal rays. Dorsal rays branched, caudal rays bifurcated. 22cm SL
Channichthyidae - the icefishes
Chionodraco rastrospinosis
(otter trawl) Acute head. Rostral spine up or backward pointing, 3 lateral lines, dorsal fins separate at bases, MLL short and present only at posterior end.
Chaenocephalus aceratus
(otter trawl) Spatulate head. No rostral spine, but maybe a little bump in big adults. Two lateral lines.
Champsocephalus gunnari
(otter trawl) Somewhat spatulate head, but not duck-bill like as in Chaenocephalus. Two lateral lines, both rather prominent, but only posterior-most end of MLL with tubed scales. Anterior portion of MLL no scales. No rostral spine. Tail emarginate. Silvery.
Chaenodraco wilsoni
(otter trawl) First dorsal erect, few spines, black spot centered at tallest spine. Rostral spine present and points forward. Pelvic fin extends beyond anal fin origin. Three lateral lines, no scales on lateral lines.
Nototheniidae - the “rock cods”
Lepidonotothen nudifrons
(otter trawl) Pleasing reddish-yellow ground color. Fins yellowish, extremely thickened. Snout blunt. Eyes, small. Robust fish.
Lepidonotothen larseni
(otter trawl) Small, fusiform, large, somewhat upward-pointing eyes. Abundant small specimens
Trematomus newnesi
(otter trawl) Fusiform, greenish or golden-green pelagic-looking fish.
Gobionotothen gibberifrons
(otter trawl) Beautiful barred yellow and brown pectoral and dorsals. First dorsal with 7 or 8 spines. Top of head concave behind eye. Mouth small, not coming to vertical at eye. Robust fish.
Dissostichus mawsoni
(otter trawl) Sharp teeth, broad head. Large mouth.
Notothenia coriiceps
(pots). Large headed, robust nototheniid. Bernach-like variable mottled coloration, with no prominent pattern
Notothenia rossii
(pots). Large headed, robust nototheniid. Marbled brown and white coloration pronounced. Yellowish fins. Slightly sleeker profile than coriiceps.
Trematomus loennbergii
(blake trawl, otter trawl). Smaller trematomid with black lining of gill cavity, mouth and blackish gills. Body a lighter black-tinged brown.
Lepidonotothen squamifrons
(blake trawl, otter trawl). Robust, scaly, rough-surfaced fish. Scales on top of eyes and on all of the face (not the underside). Prominent tubes scales on ULL throughout, MLL with less obvious tubes scales only posteriorly.
Trematomus scotti
(blake trawl). Robust, scaly, rough-surfaced fish. Smaller. No scales on top of eyes. No tubed scales on MLL, ULL with tubed scales only on first 10 or so from behind operculum.
Pleuragramma antarcticum
(otter trawl) Antarctic silverfish.
Trematomus bernachi
like at McMurdo.
Zoarcidae - the eelpouts
Still working on identification… at least 3 species.
Marine Invertebrates
For most, I have no idea. Working on this.
