Maori chief, Black cod
Notothenia angustata, the Maori chief or black cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean
Notothenia angustata is a large demersal fish which is quite similar in shape and colour to the Maori cod (Paranotothen magellanica). The mouth is large and there are obvious bony ridge over each eye. They have a rounded caudal fin and slightly overlapping lateral lines. The small first dorsal fin has six spines. The colour is dark grey or green on the upper body with blue-black mottling and it has a yellow abdomen. There are many small grey spots and streaks on the head and the grey fins have dark mottling. This species attains a maximum total length of 41 cm (16 in).
Notothenia angustata is found in the Southern Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is found from New Zealand and Chile south and throughout the Subantarctic, at depths to 100 m (330 ft). The juveniles are often found in tide pools, with the adults on rocky reefs.
Notothenia angustata feeds on cephalopods, benthic invertrebrates and small fishes. However, in Chile, a study found that the main component of their diet was algae. This species has some of the same genes as its more southerly relatives for the production of antifreeze proteins in its blood. The Chilean study referenced above found 11 taxa of parasites living in specimens of this species including digeneans, cestodes and nematodes.
