Spatial and bathymetric occurrence of Brama australis off the Chilean Coast and in the South Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Data about Brama australis distribution along the Chilean coast and the South Pacific is scarce and varied. The aim of this study was to provide new information concerning the spatial and bathymetric occurrence of B. australis in the Southern Pacific Ocean. To do this, all data and information available in scientific literature regarding Chile and the South Pacific Ocean were collected, including fishery dependent and independent as well as bycatch data. B. australis could be present in a wider latitudinal range from the 27° to 57°S, including fjords, open ocean, and along a band in the Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand up to the Chilean coast. Thus, B australis shows a wider distribution compared to previous studies especially towards the Southern Chile. Bathymetrically the species occurs with a higher frequency in depths between 100 and 250 m, however a low occurrence was recorded over 500 m depth. A potential association of B. australis with the West Wind Drift, which could influence the distribution of the species in the Pacific Ocean and off the Chilean coast, is hypothesized. Further work includes taxonomic studies to confirm the presence of the same species in the distributional area proposed here.