Latin name

Lindbergichthys nudifrons

Other name

Yellow notie or the gaudy notothen.

Identification

The body of the Yellowfin Rockcod is relatively short, compressed at the sides and not tall; its height is about 18-23% of standard body length. The head is moderately long, about 28-33% of standard length. The snout is short, 26-29% of head length, less than the horizontal diameter of the orbit. The tip of the snout is below the lower edge of the orbit. The mouth is terminal, small, with an oblique slit. The upper jaw is retractable. Teeth are small, conical, arranged in two rows at the tips of both jaws. The eye is large - 28-35% of the length of the head. The interorbital space is very narrow - 14-19% of head length. 

The body is covered mainly with ctenoid scales. Cycloid scales are present on the cheeks and gill covers. The head is partially scaled: occiput, interorbital space, snout, preorbital area and lower surface of the head are bare.

Stamens in both rows of the first gill arch are smooth, not toothed, moderately elongated and flattened in the outer row, conical in the inner row: total number of stamens in the outer row of the first gill arch 16-22, of which 11-14 in the lower part and 5-6 in the upper part. There is only one - dorsal lateral line with tubular scales, their number is 33-42; in medial lateral line all scales are punctate. The total number of vertebrae is 50-53, of which 15-16 are trunk vertebrae and 34-38 are caudal vertebrae.

Features of fish fins

The first dorsal fin has 4-6 flexible barb rays, the last of which is connected to the first ray of the second dorsal fin by a fin fold; the second dorsal fin has 36-40 articulated rays; the anal fin has 33-36 articulated rays; the pectoral fin has 21-24 rays. The pectoral fin is longer than the pelvic fin: the length of the pectoral fin is 79-100% of the length of the head, the length of the pelvic fin is 71-83% of the length of the head. The caudal fin is slightly rounded or truncated.

Fish colouring

The colouration of the entire body of the live fish is yellowish or yellow, with dark transverse stripes on the sides, which may vary in number from 2 to 5. The chest and bases of the pelvic fins are silvery white. The general background of the fins is yellowish, yellow or greyish. The first dorsal fin has a contrasting black spot on the upper part, the second dorsal fin and anal fin have dark oblique stripes. The pelvic fins have more or less conspicuous dark transverse bars. The caudal fin has up to 4 narrow dark vertical stripes. Sexual dimorphism is evident in the colouration, mainly in a lighter orange or orange overall colouration in adult males, whose fin stripes also become orange or brownish-orange.

Distribution

The range of the species includes the coastal shelf waters of the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the coastal waters of the islands of the submarine South Antilles Ridge - South Shetland, South Orkney, South Sandwich and South Georgia Islands. 

Habitat

Occurs in the coastal shallow shelf zone at depths of 5 to 350 metres.

Size

A small species with a maximum total length of less than 19 cm.

Behavior

Bottom-dwelling species that live permanently on the surface of the dirt. Strictly territorial species with males guarding their habitat and nesting site for long periods. 

Food and feeding habits

It feeds on benthos, mainly epifauna - polychaetes, gammarids and isopods.

Reproduction

Fish become sexually mature at a total length of approximately 12-14 cm (standard length is 9-10 cm). Spawning may occur between April-May and October. The eggs are bottom-feeding, with a diameter of about 2.5 mm. Absolute fecundity in females with a total length of 11-18 cm ranges from 1646 to 6886 eggs. The nests, in which the embryos incubate for 4 months under the protection of the male, are built on stony ground under stone cover or in caves. Larvae of about 7 mm hatch from September to April in the area of the Antarctic Peninsula and the islands of the South Antarctic Arc.

Fishing

May be caught in shallow continental and island shelves by bottom trawls, gillnets and traps, and may also be caught by rod and line.

Relationship with a person

Harmless.