Notothenia angustata
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
Notothenia angustata, the Maori chief or black cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean
TaxonomyEdit
Notothenia angustata was first formally described in 1875 by the English-born New Zealand scientist Frederick Wollaston Hutton with the type locality given as Dunedin in New Zealand.<ref name = CofF>Template:Cof genus</ref> The specific name angustata means "narrowed" a reference to the relatively narrow head of this species.<ref name = ETYFish>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DescriptionEdit
Notothenia angustata is a large demersal fish which is quite similar in shape and colour to the Maori cod (Paranotothen magellanica). The mouth is large and there are obvious bony ridge over each eye. They have a rounded caudal fin and slightly overlapping lateral lines. The small first dorsal fin has six spines. The colour is dark grey or green on the upper body with blue-black mottling and it has a yellow abdomen. There are many small grey spots and streaks on the head and the grey fins have dark mottling.<ref name = MLDB>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This species attains a maximum total length of Template:Cvt.<ref name = FishBase/>
Distribution and habitatEdit
Notothenia angustata is found in the Southern Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is found from New Zealand and Chile south and throughout the Subantarctic, at depths to Template:Cvt. The juveniles are often found in tide pools,<ref name=FishBase/> with the adults on rocky reefs.<ref name = MLDB/>
BiologyEdit
Notothenia angustata feeds on cephalopods, benthic invertrebrates and small fishes.<ref name = MLDB/> However, in Chile, a study found that the main component of their diet was algae.<ref name = Munoz>Template:Cite journal Abstract in English</ref> This species has some of the same genes as its more southerly relatives for the production of antifreeze proteins in its blood.<ref name = CPS>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Chilean study referenced above found 11 taxa of parasites living in specimens of this species including digeneans, cestodes and nematodes.<ref name = Munoz/>
UtilisationEdit
Nothotenia angustata is caught using hook and lines and the flesh is edible but not highly regarded and any caught tend to be used as bait in lobster fisheries.<ref name = "Te Ara">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>