Systematics and distribution of cumaceans collected during BENTAR-95 cruise around South Shetland Islands (Antarctica)

Abstract

SUMMARY: During the BENTART-95 cruise, 24 stations around the South Shetland Islands and Trinity Island, ranging from 45 to 649 m bottom depth, were sampled using a Macer-GIROQ sledge. Alltogether, 1236 specimens of cumaceans belonging to 25 species were captured. Four of them are new species named Cumella emergens, Procampylaspis halei, Campylaspis heterotuberculata and Leucon (Crymoleucon) costatus. Distribution of cumaceans in this area is depth-dependent and the highest diversity was observed at the deeper station. A total of 68 species have been recorded from Antarctic and Subantarctic waters, the greatest part (47 species) were found between 50 and 300 m depth; only 3 species inhabit below 2,500 m depth. Antarctic cumacean fauna shows a high degree of endemism at a specific level (91%), however, only one genus of 19 is endemic. By regions, the Kerguelen Islands have the highest percentage of endemic species (56%). Antarctic cumaceans do not seem to have a common origin, some species could have colonized Antarctica through Scotia Arc (as the genus Campylaspis) or emerged from deep-sea while others may be radiated from Antarctica to lower latitudes (as the species of subgenus Crymoleucon).

Composition and distribution of the peracarid crustacean fauna along a latitudinal transect off Victoria Land (Ross Sea, Antarctica) with special emphasis on the Cumacea

“…At the South Shetland Islands, cumacean diversity was extremely variable. Nevertheless, a tendency towards higher values at deeper stations was recorded as well; this trend extended to depths below 500 m on the continental slope (Corbera 2000). Density and species number of the Cumaceans of the Beagle Channel was found to increase with depth and reduced grain size of the sediment .…”

“…In the Ross Sea, the most abundant family was the Leuconidae, whereas the Diastylidae (Lörz and Brandt 2003) or Bodotriidae (Corbera 2000) dominated the cumaceans oV the South Shetland Islands. Mean species number oV the South Shetland Islands was half of the Ross Sea, whereas total species number varied between 50 (Lörz and Brandt 2003) and 100% (Corbera 2000). Cumacean diversity index was higher at deeper stations and maximal in a depth of 410 m at station C2, which was one of the stations with muddy sediment.…”

“…In the Weddell Sea as around the South Shetland Islands (Corbera 2000;Lörz and Brandt 2003) most speciose family was the Nannastacidae. In the Ross Sea, the most abundant family was the Leuconidae, whereas the Diastylidae (Lörz and Brandt 2003) or Bodotriidae (Corbera 2000) dominated the cumaceans oV the South Shetland Islands.…”

“…Thus prior to the present study, the number of cumacean species known from the Ross Sea was 13. Approximately 30 cumacean species are known from other high Antarctic regions (Mühlenhardt-Siegel 1999;Corbera 2000). The great diVerence in species numbers known from diVerent high Antarctic localities can be attributed to the little work, which has so far been accomplished on the deeper benthic environment of the northern Victoria-Land coast and the eastern Ross Sea (Waterhouse 2001) as well as the gear used for sampling.…”

Suprabenthic fauna from the Bellingshausen Sea and western Antarctic Peninsula: spatial distribution and community structure

“…this vertical gradient was also observed in almost all taxa except for the euphausiids, which avoid close contact with the sea bottom. such a near-bottom vertical distribution pattern is a typical feature of suprabenthic species of most marine areas (mees and Jones, 1997), including antarctic waters (Corbera, 2000;ramos, 2003;san Vicente et al, 2006san Vicente et al, , 2007.…”