This introduction gives a short account, including diagrams, of the evolution of the Antarctic fish fauna following the formation of the Southern Ocean resulting from the breakup of Gondwana. There is a short description of the art of gyotaku, including illustrations. Gyotaku is a distinctively Japanese way of illustrating nature. Fine paper is moistened and applied to the surface of a fish or plant. Coloured inks are then used to colour the imprint of the fish. Boshu Nagase has over 30 years experience of producing gyotaku and is regarded as the principal exponent of this art form. The main text describes 54 species and each description is accompanied by a whole page gyotaku illustration in colour. The authors are internationally recognized Antarctic fish biologists.