The scientific community is concerned after the discovery of a strange marine species that reveals the fragility of the Antarctic ecosystem
A new species of Antarctic fish has been discovered that highlights how fragile the underwater ecosystem really is.
Researchers from William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have discovered a new species of Antarctic dragonfish, known as the Banded Dragonfish or Akarotaxis gouldae, in the waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula.
As reported by The Huffington Post, the discovery has highlighted both the fragility of the marine ecosystem and its constant ability to astound scientists.
In the abstract of the 26-page paper submitted to Zootaxa, the authors note that the species is “especially poorly known” as its "deep habitat and rarity limit knowledge of its life history and biology."
New species of Antarctic dragonfish discovered by Batten School graduate Andrew Corso. Named Akarotaxis gouldae to honor ARSV Laurence M. Gould. Visit the link to learn more! https://t.co/tiHVtzkTnk
— Virginia Institute of Marine Science (@VIMS_News) September 4, 2024
📸: Andrew Corso and Kharis Shrage pic.twitter.com/SfM8Xk4gZN
‘The population may have become isolated within deep trenches under glaciers’
Lead author Andrew Corso and his team found specimens off the coast of Antarctica while trawling for zooplankton; they were originally thought to be Akarotaxis nudiceps. To be sure, they requested the use of DNA samples from numerous collections around the world and found there to be a difference. It was an entirely new species: Akarotaxis gouldae.
“This process essentially looks at the rate of genetic mutations as a guide for a species' evolutionary history,” said Corso. “We hypothesize that a population of dragonfishes may have become isolated within deep trenches under glaciers, surviving on food pushed in by the moving ice. Once the glaciers retreated, this subpopulation had become distinct enough to be reproductively incompatible with Akarotaxis nudiceps."
At present, what scientists have found out about the Antarctic Dragonfish suggest that their reproduction capacities are low and they also only live in the region where they have been found.
"Akarotaxis gouldae appear to have one of the smallest ranges of any fish endemic to the Southern Ocean," said Corso. “This limited range combined with their low reproductive capacity and the presence of early life stages in shallower waters suggest that this is a vulnerable species that could be impacted by the krill fishery.”
Meet Akarotaxis gouldae—a newly discovered #Antarctic dragonfish! 🐟 Found off the western Antarctic Peninsula, it features unique bands and highlights the fragile, largely unknown biodiversity of the Southern Ocean. #ProtectAntarctica https://t.co/bh0YVdAHqg
— Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (@AntarcticaSouth) September 2, 2024
They are prey items to many species which have declined in previous years and as such their low numbers heavily affects the already hugely vulnerable ecosystem that continues to warm. As well as the rising temperatures, the waters surrounding the western Antarctic Peninsula are used by the international Antarctic krill fishery, which is a constant threat to life in the region.
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