Twenty-six species belonging to the suborder Notothenioidei (8 Nototheniidae, 8 Channichthyidae, 4 Bathydraconidae and 6 Artedidraconidae) have been karyotyped. The results are listed together with all other karyotypic data now available for the suborder. Intraspecific variation of karyotypic numbers and formulae is not significant and confirms that within a species, the karyotype is highly stable. In Nototheniidae (2n = 22-50) and Bathydraconidae (2n = 36-48), chromosome numbers show a strong interspecific variability involving inversions, Robertsonian translocations and probably duplications. In Channichthyidae (2n = 48), the chromosome number is conserved and the differences in chromosome structure are correlated with peri- or paracentric inversions and also duplications. In Artedidraconidae, the karyotype (2n = 46) appears more generic than specific with minor restructuring. Morphologically differentiated sex chromosomes have been recorded in 5 species of Channichthyidae (X1X1X2X2X1X2Y) and also appears in one Bathydraconidae (XX XY1Y2).