The dataset contains 2007 records of occurrence of 39 species of fish and 2 species of squid distributed on the Patagonian continental shelf and slope. This dataset describes a new and revised version of the original data published through OBIS with individual morphometrics. Specimens are representative of pelagic, demersal, demersal-pelagic, demersal-benthic and benthic habits and they were collected by commercial fishing vessels in autumn (May–June, 2001, 51 catches), winter (July–August, 2001, 38 catches) and summer (January-February, 2002, 112 catches). The sampling was carried out with bottom trawls at a depth range of 73–370 m. The survey was located between 39°–52°S and 55°–65°W.

Occurrence, Patagonia, teleosts, elasmobranches, cephalopods, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, demersal habitat, pelagic habitat

GBIF: http://arobis.cenpat-conicet.gob.ar:8081/resource?r=argentina-fishes

The Patagonian continental shelf, in the Atlantic margin of South America, is characterized by a remarkable productivity accounted by its oceanographic and bathymetric features, promoting ‘hotspots’ of biodiversity and attracting marine top predators, such as sea birds and marine mammals. The objective of this dataset is to provide basic information (location and depth capture, and individual morphometrics) of potential prey species of marine top predators from the Patagonian shelf, representative of pelagic, demersal, demersal-pelagic, demersal-benthic and benthic habits as useful information for ecological and biogeographical studies.

General taxonomic coverage description: All specimens were identified to species level. The dataset included 39 marine species of fish, representative of half the best-known fish species from the Argentine continental shelf (55.7 %, Cosseau and Perrota 2013), and 2 species of squid, that were captured during three seasons, autumn (May-June, 2001), winter (July-August, 2001) and summer (January–February, 2002). Autumn and summer records presented a high diversity of species (80.5 and 78 %, respectively), while only 46% of the species were present in winter (Figure 1).

Figure 1. 

Distribution of occurrences of species during three seasons. Occurrence was calculated in each season as: (number of localizations where the species was present/ total number of localizations)*100.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Order: Chimaeriformes, Carcharhiniformes, Squaliformes, Torpediniformes, Rajiformes.

Family: Callorhinchidae, Scyliorhinidae, Squalidae, Torpedinidae, Rajidae

Genera: Callorhinchus, Schroederichthys, Squalus, Discopyge, Bathyraja, Dipturus, Psammobatis.

Species: Callorhinchus callorhynchus, Schroederichthys bivius, Squalus acanthias, Discopyge tschudii, Bathyraja brachyurops, Bathyraja albomaculata, Bathyraja scaphiops, Bathyraja macloviana, Dipturus chilensis, Psammobatis scobina, Psammobatis normani.

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Anguilliformes, Gadiformes, Ophidiiformes, Pleuronectiformes, Perciformes, Scorpaeniformes.

Family: Congridae, Macrouridae, Moridae, Merlucciidae, Gadidae, Ophidiidae, Paralychthydae, Achiropsettidae, Scombridae, Centrolophidae, Stromateidae, Pinguipedidae, Carangidae, Serranidae, Bramidae, Cheilodactylidae, Bovichtidae, Nototheniidae, Scorpaenidae, Congiopodidae, Triglidae, Zoarcidae, Psychrolutidae.

Genera: Bassanago, Coelorhynchus, Salilota, Austrophycis, Macruronus, Merluccius, Micromesistius, Genypterus, Paralichthys, Mancopsetta, Scomber, Seriolella, Stromateus, Pseudopercis, Parona, Acanthistius, Brama, Nemadactylus, Cottoperca, Dissostichus, Patagonotothen, Sebastes, Congiopodus, Prionotus, Iluocoetes, Cottunculus.

Species: Bassanago albescens, Coelorhynchus fasciatus, Salilota australis, Austrophycis marginata, Macruronus magellanicus, Merluccius hubbsi, Merluccius asutralis, Micromesistius australis, Genypterus blacodes, Paralichthys patagonicus, Mancopsetta maculata, Scomber japonicus, Seriolella punctata, Stromateus brasiliensis, Pseudopercis semifasciata, Parona signata, Acanthistius patachonicus, Brama brama, Nemadactylus bergi, Cottoperca gobio, Dissostichus eleginoides, Patagonotothen ramsayi, Pseudopercis, Sebastes oculata, Congiopodus peruvianus, Prionotus nudigula, Iluocoetes fimbriatus, Cottunculus granulosus.

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda

Order: Oegopsida

Family: Ommastrephidae, Onychoteuthidae.

Genera: Illex, Moroteuthis.

Species: Illex argentinus, Moroteuthis ingens.

General spatial coverage: The Argentine continental shelf, in the Atlantic margin of South America (Figure 2), is bounded by the line of the coast and the continental slope and is the most extensive submerged plain in the world, with an area of 930.000 km² (Cousseau and Perrotta 2013). It is characterized by gentle slopes and low-relief. The shelf waters are of sub-Antarctic origin diluted by continental flows and modified by exchanges of mass and heat with the atmosphere. The main distribution of the species of this dataset is:

Figure 2. 

Spatial coverage (sampling locations).

• The internal and external sectors of the shelf off the Province of Buenos Aires (35° S) to Patagonia (48° S).

• The southern part of the Patagonian-Fuegian shelf and Malvinas/Falkland Islands, along the outer shelf to the North, up to approximately 42° S.

• Deeper waters near the continental slope.

Coordinates: 52°S and 39°S Latitude; 65°W and 55°W Longitude.

Temporal coverage: May 11, 2001–June 26, 2001, July 21, 2001–August 31, 2001, January 11, 2002–February 27, 2002.

We are indebted to Harengus S.A. fishing company for the samples provided, and to Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET) for institutional support. We thank Dr. A. Gosztonyi and Dr. M. Re for their help with species identification, R. Mazzanti for technical assistance, Dr. M. Degrati and Dr. G. Garaffo for the language assistance and Dr G. Lovrich, Dr. D. Brosens and an anonymous reviewer for their valuable comments.