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Antarctic fish is a common name for a variety of fish that inhabit the Southern Ocean. There are relatively few families in this region, the most species-rich being the Liparidae (snailfishes), followed by Nototheniidae (cod icefishes). [1] The latter is one of eight different families that belong to the suborder Notothenioidei of the order ...
In contrast with the Arctic tundra, the Antarctic tundra lacks a large mammal fauna, mostly due to its physical isolation from the other continents. Sea mammals and sea birds, including seals and penguins, inhabit areas near the shore, and some small mammals, like rabbits and cats, have been introduced by humans to some of the subantarctic islands.
Only two flowering plants inhabit continental Antarctica, the Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and the Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis). Both are found only on the western edge of the Antarctic Peninsula and on two nearby island groups, the South Orkney Islands and the South Shetland Islands. [3]
Antarctic flora are a distinct community of vascular plants which evolved millions of years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwana. Presently, species of Antarctica flora reside on several now separated areas of the Southern Hemisphere , including southern South America , southernmost Africa , New Zealand , Australia , and New Caledonia .
Prehistoric fish of Antarctica (2 C, 5 P) Pages in category "Fish of Antarctica" The following 24 pages are in this category, out of 24 total.
These islands have a somewhat milder climate than Antarctica proper, and support a greater diversity of tundra plants, although they are all too windy and cold to support trees. Antarctic krill is the keystone species of the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean , and is an important food organism for whales , seals , leopard seals , fur seals ...
The Kerguelen Islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra ecoregion that includes several subantarctic islands. In this cold climate plant life is mainly limited to grasses, mosses and lichens, although the islands are also known for the indigenous edible Kerguelen cabbage.
For the purposes of this category, "Antarctic" is defined as one of the nine "botanical continents" according to the WGSRPD and includes the following subdivisions: Category:Flora of the subantarctic islands — (a WGSRPD region) Category:Flora of Antarctica — (the only area within the WGSRPD region of "Antarctic Continent")