Distribution of larval Krefftichthys anderssoni (Myctophidae, Pisces) at the Kerguelen Archipelago (Southern Indian Ocean) modelled using GIS and habitat suitability

Mesopelagic fish are influenced by environmental factors including oceanography and bathymetry. Surveys conducted in the Crozet and Kerguelen Archipelagos have shown that Krefftichthys anderssoni (Lonnberg) is one of the main mesopelagic fish occurring near the Antarctic Polar Front. K. anderssoni larval distribution was mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Larval habitat suitability was modelled with depth and hydrology. The aim of modelling was to determine the range of environmental parameters that are suitable for each developmental stage. Larval K anderssoni were oceanic and more abundant near the Antarctic Polar Front and the Subantarctic Front during different stages of its life cycle.