THE SUMMER DIET OF DEMERSAL FISH AT THE SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS

The stomach contents of demersal fish in late January 1982 were analys ed. Samples were taken at 100, 300 and 500 m depth south of Elephant I sland, Bransfield Strait and north of Livingston Island, and at 800 m to the east of Smith Island. Fifty four taxa of fish belonging to 11 f amilies were collected. The diets of 2101 fish representing 38 taxa we re examined. These were classified into three categories, fish feeders , krill feeders and benthos feeders. Fish prey species fed on krill an d/or benthos. Krill was a major dietary component for 32 (84.2%) out o f 38 taxa. Gobionotothen gibberifrons was distributed at all 10 statio ns (100-800 m in depth) and its diet comprised krill and benthos. The present findings verify the importance of krill in the Antarctic marin e ecosystem and indicate that krill is consumed by benthic fish at gre ater depths than previously reported.