ANTARUTIU BENTHOS
109
2. Asteroidea
Work on Antarctic asteroids has been dominated by two workers,
Koehler, particularly in his paper (1920) on the Australian Antarctic
Expedition, and W. K. Fisher in his Discovery Report (1940). Dr A. M.
Clark (1962) added significantly to our knowledge with her work on the
B.A.N.Z.A.R. Expedition and Dr H. S. Clark (1963) described the
material collected in the Ross Sea. Fell and Dawsey (1969) have recently
shown the distribution of 42 genera and 166 species out of the known
asteroid fauna south of 35'5 (excluding Australasia) of 87 genera and
232 species. All Antarctic genera were included except for those with
spotty (and hence relatively poorly documented) distribution patterns
and for those of universal deep-water distribution. They discerned
three conspicuous distribution patterns.
1. Circumpolar, chiefly around Antarctica, but usually including
South Georgia.
2. Circumpolar in the Antarctic generally, including the Magellanic
region.
3. Circumpolar or incompletely circumpolar in the Subantarctic.
The following genera are endemic to the Antarctic (Fisher, 1940) :
Mimastrella, Acodontaster, Notioceramus, Pergamaster, Chitonaster,
Scotiaster, Kampylaster, Mirastrella, Rhopiella, Paralophmter, Myoraster, Cuenotaster, Odinella, Belgicella, Notasterias, Lysasterias, Saliasterias and Granaster.
Fisher also gives a useful list of species which give " character " to
the Antarctic fauna either because they are large or occur frequently.
Exceptionally large species are : Leptychaster accrescens (Koehler), L.
jiexuosa (Koehler), L. magni$cus (Koehler), Bathybiaster loripes obesue
Sladen, Psilaster charcoti (Koehler), Luidiaster gerlachei (Ludwig),
Acodontaster elongatus (Sladen), A . conspicuus (Koehler), A. hdgsoni
(Bell), Perknaster fuscus antarcticus (Koehler), P. charcoti (Koehler), P.
aurorae (Koehler), Myoraster antarcticus (Koehler), Labidiaster annulatus Sladen, Lysasterias perrieri (Studer), and Diplasterias brucei
(Koehler) .
The species which are frequently encountered in numbers include :
Bathybiaster loripes obesus, Psilaster charcoti, Odontaster meridionalis
(Smith), 0. validus Koehler, Perknaster fuscus antarcticus, Porania
antarctica glabra Fisher, Myoraster antarcticus, Labidiaster annulatus,
Lysasterias perrieri, Diplasterias brucei and Granaster nutrix (Studer).
Clark (1 963) found that the distribution of asteroids in the islands of
the Scotia Arc was similar to that sketched for ophiuroids by Fell (1961)
and that the gap between South Georgia and the Falklands was a faunal
109
2. Asteroidea
Work on Antarctic asteroids has been dominated by two workers,
Koehler, particularly in his paper (1920) on the Australian Antarctic
Expedition, and W. K. Fisher in his Discovery Report (1940). Dr A. M.
Clark (1962) added significantly to our knowledge with her work on the
B.A.N.Z.A.R. Expedition and Dr H. S. Clark (1963) described the
material collected in the Ross Sea. Fell and Dawsey (1969) have recently
shown the distribution of 42 genera and 166 species out of the known
asteroid fauna south of 35'5 (excluding Australasia) of 87 genera and
232 species. All Antarctic genera were included except for those with
spotty (and hence relatively poorly documented) distribution patterns
and for those of universal deep-water distribution. They discerned
three conspicuous distribution patterns.
1. Circumpolar, chiefly around Antarctica, but usually including
South Georgia.
2. Circumpolar in the Antarctic generally, including the Magellanic
region.
3. Circumpolar or incompletely circumpolar in the Subantarctic.
The following genera are endemic to the Antarctic (Fisher, 1940) :
Mimastrella, Acodontaster, Notioceramus, Pergamaster, Chitonaster,
Scotiaster, Kampylaster, Mirastrella, Rhopiella, Paralophmter, Myoraster, Cuenotaster, Odinella, Belgicella, Notasterias, Lysasterias, Saliasterias and Granaster.
Fisher also gives a useful list of species which give " character " to
the Antarctic fauna either because they are large or occur frequently.
Exceptionally large species are : Leptychaster accrescens (Koehler), L.
jiexuosa (Koehler), L. magni$cus (Koehler), Bathybiaster loripes obesue
Sladen, Psilaster charcoti (Koehler), Luidiaster gerlachei (Ludwig),
Acodontaster elongatus (Sladen), A . conspicuus (Koehler), A. hdgsoni
(Bell), Perknaster fuscus antarcticus (Koehler), P. charcoti (Koehler), P.
aurorae (Koehler), Myoraster antarcticus (Koehler), Labidiaster annulatus Sladen, Lysasterias perrieri (Studer), and Diplasterias brucei
(Koehler) .
The species which are frequently encountered in numbers include :
Bathybiaster loripes obesus, Psilaster charcoti, Odontaster meridionalis
(Smith), 0. validus Koehler, Perknaster fuscus antarcticus, Porania
antarctica glabra Fisher, Myoraster antarcticus, Labidiaster annulatus,
Lysasterias perrieri, Diplasterias brucei and Granaster nutrix (Studer).
Clark (1 963) found that the distribution of asteroids in the islands of
the Scotia Arc was similar to that sketched for ophiuroids by Fell (1961)
and that the gap between South Georgia and the Falklands was a faunal