Patagonian toothfish
Scientific observer with a large Patagonian toothfish caught at Heard Island.
Photo: AFMA |
This is one of the largest fishes in the Southern Ocean. They can grow up to 2 m long and weigh over 100 kg when fully grown. Toothfish can live up to 45 years.
Toothfish are found across the Southern Ocean, near the seafloor around sub-Antarctic islands and submarine features between 100 and 3000 m.
They eat a wide variety of prey, including:
- squid
- octopods
- crustaceans
- other fish including smaller toothfish
Few species have been recorded as having toothfish as a large part of their diet. However, some known toothfish predators are:
- black browed albatross (Diomedea melanophrys) which forage for juveniles around Īles Kerguelen
- southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) and Antarctic seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at Heard Island that occasionally eat toothfish
- some sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) captured near Antarctica during the 1970's that had large toothfish in their stomachs
- killer whales (Orcinus orca) that have been filmed eating toothfish when they are caught on longlines around Īle Crozet
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