BENTHOS AND FISH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATED WITH CLUMPS OF SUBMERGED DRIFTING ALGAE IN FILDES BAY, KING GEORGE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA (17th Symposium on Polar Biology)

We conducted a quantitative study of an animal community associated with clumps of submerged drifting algae on a sand/mud bottom at Fildes Bay, King George Island. The algae clumps were found at depths between 5 and 20 m in the inner part of the bay. The clumps mainly consisted of Desmarestia anceps covering about 5% of the bottom. A large number of a nemertinean (0-220 individuals/m^2), Nacella concinna (0-65 individuals/m^2), Glyptonotus antarcticus (adults 0-8 individuals/m^2, juvenile 0-80 individuals/m^2) and gammaridean amphipods (490-25020 individuals/m^2) were found associated with the clumps. Schools of Trematomus newnesi young (0-18 individuals/m^2) hovered over the clumps. Stomach contents of T. newnesi consisted mainly of gammaridean amphipods. The algae clump seemed to be an important habitat as a nursery ground for G. antarcticus and T. newnesi