Sea cucumbers (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) from the JR275 expedition to the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Thirty-seven holothuroid species, including six potentially new, are reported from the eastern Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Information regarding sea cucumbers in this dataset is based on Agassiz Trawl (AGT) samples collected during the British Antarctic Survey cruise JR275 on the RRS James Clark Ross in the austral summer of 2012. Species presence by site and an appendix of holothuroid identifications with registrations are included as supplementary material. Species occurrence in the Weddell Sea is updated to include new holothuroids from this expedition.

Two new species of the Suborder Senticaudata (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the upper continental slope off Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Two new species of the Suborder Senticaudata (Corophiidae and Photidae) are described. They were collected during the expeditions “DIVA ARTABRIA I” in 2003 and “A Selva” in 2008, off the Galician coast (NW Iberian Peninsula). Samples were taken on hard bottoms between 800 and 1000 m deep using different gears (an epibenthic sledge an Agassiz trawl and a naturalist dredge). The corophiid Pareurystheus vitucoi sp. nov. is a blind species that can be easily distinguished from the other known genus species by the size and shape of pereopod 5. The photid Photis guerrai sp. nov is also a blind species, characterized by the presence of an anterodistal lobe on the basis of gnathopod 2. A key to the genera of Protomedeiinae is also included, as well as keys for the species of the genus Pareurystheus and the Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Photis.

Distribution of macrobenthic taxa across the Scotia Arc, Southern Ocean

An extremely dynamic chain of archipelagos links South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. It includes islands, which are large and small, old and young, near continental margins and isolated, and well sampled and poorly known. The current study sampled the macrobenthos of all the major archipelagos of this arc at shelf and slope depths using an Agassiz trawl. At least four samples (200 m, 500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m) were taken down-slope at Falkland Trough, Shag Rocks, South Georgia, South Thule, Powell Basin, Elephant Island, and Livingston Island sites and one sample was collected in the caldera of Deception Island. Despite the biogeographical and biodiversity importance of this region, this is the first time (by definition) entire standardized trawl samples have been analysed from all its archipelagos and at any consistent taxonomic level. We found 15 phyla and 29 classes of macro- and megafauna in total across the samples, many of which occurred at all sites. Even at remote and geologically young sites richness was high. Richness increased with abundance and wet mass and was highest in the shallow shelf samples and lowest at 1500 m. Abundance and wet mass varied more than two orders of magnitude, even within classes or study areas. There were strong similarities between the ascidian dominated shallow faunas of the two active volcanic sites, Southern Thule and Deception Island despite huge differences in isolation. There were also strong faunal similarities between Falkland Trough and Shag Rocks despite being on opposing sides of the Polar Front. In contrast two near neighbours with similarly soft substrata, Elephant and Livingston islands were amongst the most dissimilar.

Crinoidea and Holothuroidea (Echinodermata) of the abyssal Angola Basin—Results of the DIVA-1 expedition of FS "Meteor" (Cruise M48/1)

Agassiz trawl and epibenthic sledge samples taken at abyssal depths in the Angola Basin (south-eastern Atlantic Ocean) during the expedition DIVA-1 with FS "Meteor" in July 2000 yielded a rich variety of Echinodermata: inter alia one stalked crinoid (Bathycrinus cf. aldrichianus Wyville Thomson, 1876) and altogether nine holothurian species, two of which are subspecies. One of these, Achlyonice longicornis spec. nov., is new to science, while all others have been described earlier: Deima validum validum Théel, 1879, Psychropotes semperiana Théel, 1882, Peniagone purpurea (Théel, 1882), Molpadiodemas atlanticus (R. Perrier, 1898), Molpadia liska Pawson, 1977, Protankyra brychia (Verrill, 1885), Siniotrochus myriodontus Gage & Billett, 1986 and Neolepidotrochus parvidiscus angolensis Bohn, 2005. All species collected are described and their known distributions are given. Finally, two crinoids and 21 holothurian species, so far known from the abyssal Angola Basin, are listed and their zoogeographical relationships are discussed.

Dolichiscus spinosetosus n. sp., a new arcturid isopod from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Two specimens of Dolichiscus spinosetosus were collected by means of an Agassiz trawl and a small dredge in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. This species is characterized by a large number of strong spines on the dorsal side, some of these possessing tubercular tips. The dorsum is characterized by many smaller and shorter blunt spines and numerous long simple setae all over the body (on spines, pereonites and pleotelson). Dolichiscus acanthaspidus Schultz, 1981 is the taxon most closely related to this new species, but the new species has more setae and tubercular spines on all parts of the body and two caudolateral spines instead of one behind the supraocular ones.

The fish populations of the Rockall Trough

SynopsisThe fish populations of the Rockall Trough were poorly known until the early seventies, when there was an interest in the possible exploitation of the demersal fish of the upper slopes. These surveys were carried out by fisheries laboratories with commercial trawls fished on paired warps. At the same time the SMBA began an investigation into the seasonal aspects of the fish of the slopes, using paired warp and single warp otter trawls and an Agassiz trawl. These studies have resulted in a wealth of information on the fish collected by several towed gears and have enabled comparison to be made between different trawls. Of particular interest has been the difference in abundance and biomass estimates between paired and single warp trawls. The small amount of information on the biology of the fish species is briefly reviewed and the populations of the Rockall Trough are considered in the broader context of the northeast Atlantic.

The position of Pontophilus echinulatus (M. Sars) in the Crangonidae

On 26 November 1953 the new research ship Sarsia on her first cruise collected a number of Pontophilus echinulatus (M. Sars) (with an Agassiz trawl, depth 100 fm., La Chapelle, Bay of Biscay). Mr G. R. Forster, of the Plymouth Laboratory, noted that these did not fit into the key given by Kemp (1910) in that they have in the male a distinct appendix interna at the base of the four last pairs of pleopods, while in the female this is absent, the inner ramus being usually undivided, although occasionally an indistinct division can be made out. Otherwise they agree with Kemp's diagnosis.Kemp (1910) notes M. Sars 1861 as authority, but this is only a preliminary description. In Sars (1868), given in Kemp's (1910) bibliography but not under the species, it is seen that he describes both male and female exactly as in the specimens from Sarsia, the male having a distinct appendix interna on the last four pairs of pleopods and an appendix masculina also on the second pair, the female pleopods having very short inner rami, except in the first which is long, and there is no appendix interna. Sars's figures of these limbs are very good. Kemp (1911) joins Philocheras with Pontophilus, and in this he is now followed by most authors.Kemp (1916) reviewed the pleopods in the genus Pontophilus, as far as he could with the material he had in India, and he proposed certain groups according to the presence or absence of the appendix interna.

Bottom Fauna and the Food of Fishes

IN the waters off Plymouth there exists a definite inshore fishing-ground, approximately 13 square miles in area, locally known as the “corner.” In order to obtain some idea of the Bionomic conditions prevailing on this ground an intensive study of the bottom fauna was undertaken. Quantitative seasonal observations extending over a period of one year (August, 1928–July, 1929 inclusive) have been made, using the 0.1 square metre Bottom Sampler and the “Agassiz” Trawl, a method having been devised for obtaining quantitative hauls with the latter instrument. Investigations into the food actually eaten by the fishes within the area have been carried on simultaneously, and the stomach contents of over 2000 fishes comprising 29 different species have been examined. On account of the length of time required for stomach examination, it was found impossible to make seasonal observations on them also, but comparable winter and summer examinations were made.