ANTARCTIO BENTHOS
7
various deep-water basins which intrude inside the boundary of the
Antarctic Convergence will surely extend south of the Convergence.
Cailleux (1961) in a discussion of endemism in the Antarctic, and
after analysing a long series of systematic works concluded that a
majority of authors included the South Shetlands, South Orkneys and
South Sandwich Islands in the Antarctic, and that Bouvet Island was
usualIy included.
For the majority of groups South Georgia and Shag Rocks presented
a faunal mixture of Magellanic and Antarctic forms together with a
group of endemics. Cailleux pointed out, a fact all too often forgotten,
that the degree of endemism of the Antarctic fauna depends very
greatly on whether South Georgian species are included in or excluded
from, the Antarctic Region. This problem will be discussed more fully
in a discussion on endemism later in this contribution.
Following what seems to be a consensus of modern opinion the
Antarctic benthic region is accepted for purposes of the present work
as extending to South Georgia. On the little evidence available Bouvet
Island is also included. However, Heard, Macquarie and Kerguelen
Islands which fall within or straddle the Convergence, are considered
on the faunal evidence to be essentially Subantarctic, although some
elements of the Antarctic fauna reach these islands.
B. Terminology
It is impossible not to touch on some matters of terminology. The
whole question of the nomenclature for basic divisions in the southern
regions is gradually becoming more confused. Hydrological usage has
been based upon the characteristics of the water masses extending in
concentric belts from the Antarctic Continent. The Antarctic water
closest to the Continent separated from the next water mass, Subantarctic water, by the Antarctic Convergence, the Subantarctic water
separated in turn by a Subtropical Convergence from Subtropical.
There may well be anomalies in this usage but it has served southern
hydrographers well and several generations of southern biologists have
been trained in the basic patterns and used them to interpret plant and
animal distribution patterns.
Biologists cannot complain if growth in oceanographic knowledge
demands a change in these basic concepts, and perhaps we must learn
to accept the “Antarctic polar front )’ in place of the “Antarctic Convergence )’, and the presence of the Subantarctic Divergence between
the Antarctic Convergence and the Subtropical Convergence. It is to
be hoped that physical oceanographers will remember that many other
scientists wish to use their results and refrain from changes in nomen-
7
various deep-water basins which intrude inside the boundary of the
Antarctic Convergence will surely extend south of the Convergence.
Cailleux (1961) in a discussion of endemism in the Antarctic, and
after analysing a long series of systematic works concluded that a
majority of authors included the South Shetlands, South Orkneys and
South Sandwich Islands in the Antarctic, and that Bouvet Island was
usualIy included.
For the majority of groups South Georgia and Shag Rocks presented
a faunal mixture of Magellanic and Antarctic forms together with a
group of endemics. Cailleux pointed out, a fact all too often forgotten,
that the degree of endemism of the Antarctic fauna depends very
greatly on whether South Georgian species are included in or excluded
from, the Antarctic Region. This problem will be discussed more fully
in a discussion on endemism later in this contribution.
Following what seems to be a consensus of modern opinion the
Antarctic benthic region is accepted for purposes of the present work
as extending to South Georgia. On the little evidence available Bouvet
Island is also included. However, Heard, Macquarie and Kerguelen
Islands which fall within or straddle the Convergence, are considered
on the faunal evidence to be essentially Subantarctic, although some
elements of the Antarctic fauna reach these islands.
B. Terminology
It is impossible not to touch on some matters of terminology. The
whole question of the nomenclature for basic divisions in the southern
regions is gradually becoming more confused. Hydrological usage has
been based upon the characteristics of the water masses extending in
concentric belts from the Antarctic Continent. The Antarctic water
closest to the Continent separated from the next water mass, Subantarctic water, by the Antarctic Convergence, the Subantarctic water
separated in turn by a Subtropical Convergence from Subtropical.
There may well be anomalies in this usage but it has served southern
hydrographers well and several generations of southern biologists have
been trained in the basic patterns and used them to interpret plant and
animal distribution patterns.
Biologists cannot complain if growth in oceanographic knowledge
demands a change in these basic concepts, and perhaps we must learn
to accept the “Antarctic polar front )’ in place of the “Antarctic Convergence )’, and the presence of the Subantarctic Divergence between
the Antarctic Convergence and the Subtropical Convergence. It is to
be hoped that physical oceanographers will remember that many other
scientists wish to use their results and refrain from changes in nomen-