ANTARCTIC BENTHOS
153
(a) an upper surf zone ;
(b) a middle kelp zone ;
(c) a lower transition zone between the kelp zone and the mud
bottom.
From Ardley Bay, near Bellingshausen Station, King George Island,
South Shetlands, Gruzov and Pushkin (1970) recorded a sequence which
can be compared with that at Arthur Harbour.
From 2 m down a zone of algae (green and red representing five to
seven species) is developed. The limpet Patinigera polaris is a dominant
animal, with starfishes, sea urchins and ascidians, but the fauna is poor.
Between 8 and 10 m, brown algae replace the reds, and the seastar
Labidimter appears.
At about 30m the mud appears. Large colonies of synascidians
characterize this zone, together with burrowing sea urchins and ophiuroids. In shallower muds (10 m) the bivalve Laternula and the isopod
Glyptonotus are common.
The sublittoral zone at Signy Island in the South Orkneys (Price
and Redfearn, 1968) supports a rich growth of algae. The large brown
algae, Ascoseira, Desmrestia and Phyllogigas live on deeper rock faces,
and closer to the surface in crevices. Desmurestia anceps is the common
form in the middle, with D. menxiesii in the upper sublittoral. Epiphytic algae growing on these browns include Monostroma hariotii,
Adenocystis, Desmurestia ligulata, Ballia and Leptosomia. I n the shadow
of the large brown algae is a secondary layer of much smaller species,
largely red algae and including Phyllopha, Myriogramme, Ballia,
Plocamium and Cystoclonium.
Associated with these algae is a wide range of animals. Amongst
holdfasts the tubeworms Harmth6e and Neanthes occur, together with
the small bivalves, Philobrya and Mysella. Attached to the fronds are
the limpet, Patinigera, the univalves Pellilitorina, Laevilacuwria and
Laevilitorina and the small bivalve Lissarca. The amount of light
appears to influence the development of a crevice fauna. In areas
receiving strong illumination the isopod Glyptonotus and the echinoderms Cryptasterias and Odontaster are found. In deep shade the algae
are lacking and are replaced by abundant sponges, tubeworms, a
brachiopod and the holothurian Cucumaria.
Shallow water sands often support populations of floating algae, in
particular Desmarestia anceps, with burrowing bivalves Laternula,
Mysella and Yoldia (Aquiyoldia) eightsi, together with polychaetes.
Bullivant (1967), as a preliminary report on a survey of the Ross
Sea carried out by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute during
153
(a) an upper surf zone ;
(b) a middle kelp zone ;
(c) a lower transition zone between the kelp zone and the mud
bottom.
From Ardley Bay, near Bellingshausen Station, King George Island,
South Shetlands, Gruzov and Pushkin (1970) recorded a sequence which
can be compared with that at Arthur Harbour.
From 2 m down a zone of algae (green and red representing five to
seven species) is developed. The limpet Patinigera polaris is a dominant
animal, with starfishes, sea urchins and ascidians, but the fauna is poor.
Between 8 and 10 m, brown algae replace the reds, and the seastar
Labidimter appears.
At about 30m the mud appears. Large colonies of synascidians
characterize this zone, together with burrowing sea urchins and ophiuroids. In shallower muds (10 m) the bivalve Laternula and the isopod
Glyptonotus are common.
The sublittoral zone at Signy Island in the South Orkneys (Price
and Redfearn, 1968) supports a rich growth of algae. The large brown
algae, Ascoseira, Desmrestia and Phyllogigas live on deeper rock faces,
and closer to the surface in crevices. Desmurestia anceps is the common
form in the middle, with D. menxiesii in the upper sublittoral. Epiphytic algae growing on these browns include Monostroma hariotii,
Adenocystis, Desmurestia ligulata, Ballia and Leptosomia. I n the shadow
of the large brown algae is a secondary layer of much smaller species,
largely red algae and including Phyllopha, Myriogramme, Ballia,
Plocamium and Cystoclonium.
Associated with these algae is a wide range of animals. Amongst
holdfasts the tubeworms Harmth6e and Neanthes occur, together with
the small bivalves, Philobrya and Mysella. Attached to the fronds are
the limpet, Patinigera, the univalves Pellilitorina, Laevilacuwria and
Laevilitorina and the small bivalve Lissarca. The amount of light
appears to influence the development of a crevice fauna. In areas
receiving strong illumination the isopod Glyptonotus and the echinoderms Cryptasterias and Odontaster are found. In deep shade the algae
are lacking and are replaced by abundant sponges, tubeworms, a
brachiopod and the holothurian Cucumaria.
Shallow water sands often support populations of floating algae, in
particular Desmarestia anceps, with burrowing bivalves Laternula,
Mysella and Yoldia (Aquiyoldia) eightsi, together with polychaetes.
Bullivant (1967), as a preliminary report on a survey of the Ross
Sea carried out by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute during