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Harpagifer antarcticus Nybelin, 1947 Antarctic spiny plunderfish |
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photo by
Schories, D. |
| Family: | Harpagiferidae (Spiny plunderfishes) | |||
| Max. size: | 9.5 cm SL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 9 years | |||
| Environment: | demersal; marine | |||
| Distribution: | Southern Ocean: along the Atlantic coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland, South Orkney and South Sandwich islands. | |||
| Diagnosis: | ||||
| Biology: | Depth range: 0-5 m on rocky bottoms. Usually under rocks; rarely under algal fronds. A specialized feeder on amphipods, mainly Gondogeneia antarctica. Feed on small crustaceans and common in littoral of all sub-Antarctic islands (Ref. 42041). Iteroparous and devotes a lot of time to parental care (Ref. 5191). Larval pelagic phase is long (Ref. 71843). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||