Channichthys richardsoni

Channichthys richardsoni, or the robust icefish, is a demersal species of crocodile icefish endemic to the shelf waters of the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean. It lives at depths of 126–310 metres (413–1,017 ft).

Robust Icefish
Illustration of the holotype
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Suborder:	Notothenioidei
Family:	Channichthyidae
Genus:	Channichthys
Species:	Richardsoni

This heavy-bodied species is dark grey to brown in coloration and has 3-4 dark cross bars on its body. Narrow dark stripes (up to 6) are present on the caudal fins and pelvic fins.

It is distinguished from other Channichthys species (to whom it is very similar with) by the moderate size of its eyes, number of gill rakers on the lower arch (6-15), longer snout (approximately equal to half the length of the head) and other characteristics, such as the relatively robust body compared to other Channichthys species (which gave this species its common name) and relatively small eye (in some specimens just reaching 33% of snout length).

It is a piscivorous (fish-eating) species. Maturity is reached at 29–31 centimetres (11–12 in) TL in females. Spawning occurs from autumn to early winter.

This species is of no interest to commercial fisheries.[1]

References

1. "Channichthys richardsoni, Robust icefish". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2020-12-21.

• Shandikov; Karazin. (2011). "Channichthys richardsoni sp. n., a new Antarctic icefish (Perciformes: Notothenioidei: Channichthyidae) from the Kerguelen Islands area, Indian sector of the Southern Ocean" (PDF). Cite journal requires |journal= (help)