Species Composition, Abundance, Distribution Features and Size Characteristics of Fish of the Genus Liparis (Cottiformes: Liparidae) in the East-Siberian and Laptev Seas

Abstract

Abstract— Information on the distribution and occurrence of three species of the genus Liparis, Liparis bathyarcticus Parr, 1931, L. cf. fabricii Krøyer, 1847 and L. tunicatus Reinhardt, 1836 on the shelf of the Laptev and East Siberian seas, depending on the temperature, salinity and sediment types is presented according to the data of trawl surveys in 2014 and 2017. L. cf. fabricii is the most common species in the surveyed water area with the frequency of occurrence of 22.4% in the Laptev Sea and 24.7% in the East Siberian Sea. The total relative abundance and biomass of all species of the genus Liparis in the East Siberian Sea (377.7 ind./km2 and 9.14 kg/km2) were slightly higher than in the Laptev Sea (326 ind./km2 and 8.32 kg/km2). The maximum length of L. tunicatus in the East Siberian Sea (172 mm) exceeds the previously known one (160 mm). The average length and weight of fish of all three species of Liparis in the East Siberian Sea are greater than in the Laptev Sea.