ANTAFtCTIC BENTHOS
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long and the largest tentacle 48-0cm in length. This is the largest
Antarctic octopus. Cephalopod beaks have been recorded from the
stomachs of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddelli (Lesson) by Berry
(1917), Bertram (1940) and Dearborn (1965b) and can in places form a
significant part of the food. At McMurdo Sound the main species taken
seems to be Pareledone churcoti.
4. Gastropoda
Although restricted in the number of families represented, the
Antarctic gastropod fauna is varied with some families and genera
developing a range of species. Some families have only one or two
representatives. Thus the Scissurellidae has Scissurella petermannensis
Lamy recorded only from the South Orkneys, and Schixotrochus
euglyptus (Pelseneer) widely distributed in Antarctic waters and reaching as far north as the Burdwood Bank. The Fissurellidae is represented
by the two genera Puncturella and Parmaphorella. Patinigera is the only
genus of the widespread limpet family, Patellidae, to enter the Antarctic
with Patinigera polaris (Hombron and Jacquinot) extending as far
south as the Antarctic Peninsula although other species of the genus
occur in southern South America, the Falklands, Kerguelen and
Macquarie Islands. Leptocollonia with two species is the only genus of
the alrnost ubiquitous family, Turbinidae. The family Marginellidae is
perhaps rather a surprising occurrence in Antarctic waters with two
rather closely allied species of Marginella.
Other families are very well represented. Nine genera of medium
sized ti0 small forms of Trochidae are found in Antarctic waters with a
range of rather colourless, featureless species in each. The family
Littorinidae (Fig. 10) contains some five Antarctic genera and subgenera. The genus Laevilitorina has four species, L. granum Martens
and Pfeffer, L. pygmaea Martens and Pfeffer, L. umbiliata Martens and
Pfeffer and L. venusta Martens and Pfeffer confined to South Georgia,
two species L. bennetti Preston and L. latior Preston, confined to the
Falklan d Islands, one species L. caliginosa (Gould) widely distributed
from Kerguelen and Macquarie Islands, to Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Orkneys and South Shetlands, and
L. antarctica (Smith) which occurs on the Antarctic Continent and East
Antarctica. The other genera Laevilitorina (Corneolitorina), Laevilacunaria and Laevilacunaria (Pellilacunella) occur in sections of the
Scotia Arc with occasional spot records from the Subantarctic. The
last genus, Pellilitorina, is endemic to the range of its only two species,
P . pellita (Martens) and P. setosa (Smith), one or other of which occurs
87
long and the largest tentacle 48-0cm in length. This is the largest
Antarctic octopus. Cephalopod beaks have been recorded from the
stomachs of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddelli (Lesson) by Berry
(1917), Bertram (1940) and Dearborn (1965b) and can in places form a
significant part of the food. At McMurdo Sound the main species taken
seems to be Pareledone churcoti.
4. Gastropoda
Although restricted in the number of families represented, the
Antarctic gastropod fauna is varied with some families and genera
developing a range of species. Some families have only one or two
representatives. Thus the Scissurellidae has Scissurella petermannensis
Lamy recorded only from the South Orkneys, and Schixotrochus
euglyptus (Pelseneer) widely distributed in Antarctic waters and reaching as far north as the Burdwood Bank. The Fissurellidae is represented
by the two genera Puncturella and Parmaphorella. Patinigera is the only
genus of the widespread limpet family, Patellidae, to enter the Antarctic
with Patinigera polaris (Hombron and Jacquinot) extending as far
south as the Antarctic Peninsula although other species of the genus
occur in southern South America, the Falklands, Kerguelen and
Macquarie Islands. Leptocollonia with two species is the only genus of
the alrnost ubiquitous family, Turbinidae. The family Marginellidae is
perhaps rather a surprising occurrence in Antarctic waters with two
rather closely allied species of Marginella.
Other families are very well represented. Nine genera of medium
sized ti0 small forms of Trochidae are found in Antarctic waters with a
range of rather colourless, featureless species in each. The family
Littorinidae (Fig. 10) contains some five Antarctic genera and subgenera. The genus Laevilitorina has four species, L. granum Martens
and Pfeffer, L. pygmaea Martens and Pfeffer, L. umbiliata Martens and
Pfeffer and L. venusta Martens and Pfeffer confined to South Georgia,
two species L. bennetti Preston and L. latior Preston, confined to the
Falklan d Islands, one species L. caliginosa (Gould) widely distributed
from Kerguelen and Macquarie Islands, to Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Orkneys and South Shetlands, and
L. antarctica (Smith) which occurs on the Antarctic Continent and East
Antarctica. The other genera Laevilitorina (Corneolitorina), Laevilacunaria and Laevilacunaria (Pellilacunella) occur in sections of the
Scotia Arc with occasional spot records from the Subantarctic. The
last genus, Pellilitorina, is endemic to the range of its only two species,
P . pellita (Martens) and P. setosa (Smith), one or other of which occurs