The growth rate of skeleton in ontogeny of the Antarctic fish from the suborder Notothenioidae (Perciformes, Pisces) and the problem of cold compensation

Antarctic fish from the suborder Nototheniidae (the order Perciformes) have been evolving under the conditions of a long-term temperature decrease from +15 to ‐1.9 ° C. At present, representatives of the generalized families Bovichtidae, Pseudaphritidae, Eleginopsidae, Nototheniidae, and Harpagiferidae mostly inhabit the Antarctic low-latitude and temperate waters. Species of the Trematominae subfamily of Nototheniidae, as well as species of the Artedidraconidae, Bathydraconidae, and Channichthyidae families, had spread to the coastal waters of the Antarctic high latitudes covered with ice. The original concept of Nototheniidae cold compensation through a significant increase in their metabolic rate compared to low-temperature metabolism of low- and temperate-latitude fishes was not confirmed [1]. Nevertheless, in Nototheniidae, a series of intracellular and molecular adaptive mechanisms proved to compensate the effect of low temperatures on physiological processes [2‐6 etc.]. These mechanisms are the most pronounced in the members of the advanced families Artedidraconidae, Bathydraconidae, and Channichthyidae, which is the result of Nototheniidae evolution during resettling from the mild temperature of temperate waters to the Antarctic region.