A guide to the fish otoliths from waters off the Australian Antarctic Territory, Heard and Macquarie Islands

Otoliths from 76 fish species are illustrated and described as an aid to the identification of stomach contents of Antarctic birds and mammals. Material was obtained from waters off Australian Antarctic Territory and from around Macquarie and Heard Islands. Information is also given on distribution, habits and known predators of the fish species.This guide is intended primarily as a reference work for scientists studying the diets of vertebrate predators in the area covered by Australian Antarctic and subantarctic operations. Considerable work has been done in recent years in this field, and given the requirements of work associated with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), it is likely to continue in the future. In response to the requirement for identification of prey species from usually highly-digested remains, the authors have built up a large reference collection of sagittal otolith material from fish acquired during programmes of fisheries research, and have presented it here in what is hoped is a convenient format.This guide does not cover all fish species known from the area; only those for which otolith material exists in the Australian Antarctic Division's collections. However, nearly all species which are either commonly caught by fishing gear or which are known to be important in the diets of predators are included. In view of the possibility of further species occurring in a predator's diet, and the known variability in the form of the otoliths of some species, it is recommended that this guide is used in conjunction with other works.These data were published as an ANARE Research Note (75 - A guide to the fish otoliths from waters off the Australian Antarctic Territory, Heard and Macquarie Islands). See the reference for more details.