ANTAROTIU BENTHOS
143
the upper of Ulothrix australis, the lower dominated by marine diatoms.
Below low tide mark there is first a zone of Monostroma hariotii
which lower again intermingles with a growth of Gracilaria dumontioides. Below 3 m or so several species of Desmurestia occurred while
between 15 and 20 m Phyllogigas grandifolius became common. These
large brown algae carried a rich growth of red algae attached to their
holdfasts and stipes.
Neushul (1965) studied the benthic distribution of algae at several
localities in the South Shetland Islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula.
In a protected bay in Half Moon Island, off Livingston Island in the
South Shetlands, the shoreline consisted of rocks down to about 5 m
followed by sloping coarse black sand. Two species of Desmarestia, D .
menziesii and D. anceps grew to large size between the rocks with
Ademcystis utricularis on the rock surface. The major animal was the
limpet Putinigera polaris (Hombron and Jacquinot) reaching a density
of 30 or 40/m2. Algae grew more abundantly wherever any shelter
offered.
On rocky promontories a wide variety of algae flourished. In addition to the two species of Desmarestia, Ascoseira mirabilis, Phaeurus
antarcticus Skottsberg, Plocamium secundatum (Kiitzing) Kiitzing,
Myriogramme margini (Gain) Skottsberg, Ballia callitrichu, Plumariopsis eatoni (Dickie) De Toni, Iriduea obovata Kutzing, Leptosoma
simplex, Monostroma and Chuetomorpha were represented. More
exposed outer coasts supported an almost pure association of Leptosomia simplex.
Associated with the algae on Half Moon Island were the starfish,
Granaster nutrix (Studer), Odontaster validus (Koehler) and Neosmilaster
georgianus (Studer), the molluscs Philobrya, Lissarca and Patinigera
and the crustaceans Serolis, Bovallia and Pontogeneia.
Very similar associations occurred elsewhere in the South Shetlands,
with long Cystosphuera buoyed up by floats at Harmony Cave. Similar
algae associations occurred also at Hope Bay, Melchior Island and
Paradise Harbour, all on the Antarctic Peninsula. Phyllogigas grandifolius occurred at Hope Bay but became much more conspicuous in the
more southern localities. Wherever suitable rock surfaces occurred
algae appeared to continue down below 20 m which proved the limit
for observation by diving in this area. Very similar animals were
reported by Neushul associated with the algae as those he found on the
South Shetlands, with the addition of Margarella (which however
occurs plentifully on the South Shetlands also).
Etcheverry (1968) reported a predominance of brown algae of the
genera Desmarestia, Ascoseira, Cystophuera, Phaeurus and Phyllogigas
143
the upper of Ulothrix australis, the lower dominated by marine diatoms.
Below low tide mark there is first a zone of Monostroma hariotii
which lower again intermingles with a growth of Gracilaria dumontioides. Below 3 m or so several species of Desmurestia occurred while
between 15 and 20 m Phyllogigas grandifolius became common. These
large brown algae carried a rich growth of red algae attached to their
holdfasts and stipes.
Neushul (1965) studied the benthic distribution of algae at several
localities in the South Shetland Islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula.
In a protected bay in Half Moon Island, off Livingston Island in the
South Shetlands, the shoreline consisted of rocks down to about 5 m
followed by sloping coarse black sand. Two species of Desmarestia, D .
menziesii and D. anceps grew to large size between the rocks with
Ademcystis utricularis on the rock surface. The major animal was the
limpet Putinigera polaris (Hombron and Jacquinot) reaching a density
of 30 or 40/m2. Algae grew more abundantly wherever any shelter
offered.
On rocky promontories a wide variety of algae flourished. In addition to the two species of Desmarestia, Ascoseira mirabilis, Phaeurus
antarcticus Skottsberg, Plocamium secundatum (Kiitzing) Kiitzing,
Myriogramme margini (Gain) Skottsberg, Ballia callitrichu, Plumariopsis eatoni (Dickie) De Toni, Iriduea obovata Kutzing, Leptosoma
simplex, Monostroma and Chuetomorpha were represented. More
exposed outer coasts supported an almost pure association of Leptosomia simplex.
Associated with the algae on Half Moon Island were the starfish,
Granaster nutrix (Studer), Odontaster validus (Koehler) and Neosmilaster
georgianus (Studer), the molluscs Philobrya, Lissarca and Patinigera
and the crustaceans Serolis, Bovallia and Pontogeneia.
Very similar associations occurred elsewhere in the South Shetlands,
with long Cystosphuera buoyed up by floats at Harmony Cave. Similar
algae associations occurred also at Hope Bay, Melchior Island and
Paradise Harbour, all on the Antarctic Peninsula. Phyllogigas grandifolius occurred at Hope Bay but became much more conspicuous in the
more southern localities. Wherever suitable rock surfaces occurred
algae appeared to continue down below 20 m which proved the limit
for observation by diving in this area. Very similar animals were
reported by Neushul associated with the algae as those he found on the
South Shetlands, with the addition of Margarella (which however
occurs plentifully on the South Shetlands also).
Etcheverry (1968) reported a predominance of brown algae of the
genera Desmarestia, Ascoseira, Cystophuera, Phaeurus and Phyllogigas