Article: A review of Antarctic ichthyofaunas in the light of new fossil discoveries

The fossil and Recent fish fauna of the Antarctic region is systematically and biogeographically reviewed. The occurrence of Pristiophoridae, Chimaeriformes, and Siluriformes is reported from the Antarctic region for the first time. The pristiophorids, chimaeriformes, and previously reported Antarctic shark fossils show that although chondrichthyans are a minor component of the Recent Antarctic fauna, they are very diverse in the Lower Tertiary fossil record of the continent. The occurrence of a catfish in Antarctica shows that Siluriformes have been present on all continents of the Southern Hemisphere. The Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic fishes indicate primarily an Australian biogeographic affinity for Antarctica, reflecting the proximity of the two continents to each other during those times. The more recent ichthyofaunas show no particular biogeographic affinity.