Bald notothen

Bald notothen
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Suborder:	Notothenioidei
Family:	Nototheniidae
Genus:	Pagothenia
Species:	P. borchgrevinki
Binomial name
Pagothenia borchgrevinki (Boulenger, 1902)
Synonyms
Trematomus borchgrevinki Boulenger, 1902 Notothenia hodgsoni Boulenger, 1907

The bald notothen or bald rockcod (Pagothenia borchgrevinki) is a species of notothen native to the Southern Ocean, where it is found in the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea, the Davis Sea, in Vincennes Bay, and around the Budd Coast, the Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkneys, and South Shetland Islands. It can be found at depths from the surface to 550 m (1,800 ft), though it is much rarer below 30 m (98 ft). This species is often found along the under surfaces of ice foraging for prey such as sympagic copepods and krill. In turn, it is known to be preyed upon by the ploughfish, Gymnodraco acuticeps and the Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni. Antifreeze proteins in its blood prevent it freezing in the subzero water temperatures of Antarctica.

Growing to a maximum total length around 28 cm (11 in), it is yellow with dark spots and irregular crossbars. Its dorsal and caudal fins may occasionally also be spotted.