ANTARUTIC BENTHOS
9
Islands into two different categories. Whatever decision is reached in
this field, marine biologists will probably continue using “ Subantarctic ” as long as hydrographers retain the term.
C . Subdivisions of the Antarctic Region
Some of the problems encountered in attempting to limit the
Antarctic Region, also make subdivisions of the Region difficult. A
number of schemes have been proposed.
Regan (1914b), discussing the distribution of Antarctic fishes, separated coastal from oceanic fishes. It is in fact difficult to separate
benthic fishes sharply from other forms, since many of them have
larval stages which are pelagic and many of the adult species which
would normally be considered as benthic have been taken quite frequently in mid-water. Considering coastal fishes alone Regan postulated
three zones :
1. South Temperate Zone ;
2. Subantarctic Zone ;
3. Antarctic Zone with two districts, Glacial and Kerguelen.
Regan’s Antarctic Zone included, “ t h e coast of the Antarctic
continent and the islands that lie south of the isotherm of 6OC, with the
probable exception of Macquarie Island ”. The Glacial District comprised the coast of the Antarctic Continent and all the adjacent islands
lying within the extreme limit of the pack ice, including South Georgia,
the South Sandwich Islands and probably Bouvet Island. He believed
that any subdivision of the Glacial District was premature. The Kerguelen District included Kerguelen and Heard Islands, the Crozets,
Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Regan (1914) was followed with
approval by Norman (1938) when he argued that the fish fauna of
Kerguelen-Macquarie was so different from that of the Patagonian
Region and “ the Antipodes ” that it ahould be included in the Antarctic Zone as a separate district.
Waite (1916) combined Regan’s classification with a geographical
one and divided the whole southern ocean into four quadrants :
1. Australian Zonal Quadrant (Victoria Quadrant) ;
2. Pacific Zonal Quadrant (Ross Quadrant) ;
3. American Zonal Quadrant (Weddell Quadrant) ;
4. African Zonal Quadrant (Enderby Quadrant).
The resultant Quadrant-Zone-District classification, although based
upon logical 90’ divisions, had of course no biological significance. The
9
Islands into two different categories. Whatever decision is reached in
this field, marine biologists will probably continue using “ Subantarctic ” as long as hydrographers retain the term.
C . Subdivisions of the Antarctic Region
Some of the problems encountered in attempting to limit the
Antarctic Region, also make subdivisions of the Region difficult. A
number of schemes have been proposed.
Regan (1914b), discussing the distribution of Antarctic fishes, separated coastal from oceanic fishes. It is in fact difficult to separate
benthic fishes sharply from other forms, since many of them have
larval stages which are pelagic and many of the adult species which
would normally be considered as benthic have been taken quite frequently in mid-water. Considering coastal fishes alone Regan postulated
three zones :
1. South Temperate Zone ;
2. Subantarctic Zone ;
3. Antarctic Zone with two districts, Glacial and Kerguelen.
Regan’s Antarctic Zone included, “ t h e coast of the Antarctic
continent and the islands that lie south of the isotherm of 6OC, with the
probable exception of Macquarie Island ”. The Glacial District comprised the coast of the Antarctic Continent and all the adjacent islands
lying within the extreme limit of the pack ice, including South Georgia,
the South Sandwich Islands and probably Bouvet Island. He believed
that any subdivision of the Glacial District was premature. The Kerguelen District included Kerguelen and Heard Islands, the Crozets,
Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Regan (1914) was followed with
approval by Norman (1938) when he argued that the fish fauna of
Kerguelen-Macquarie was so different from that of the Patagonian
Region and “ the Antipodes ” that it ahould be included in the Antarctic Zone as a separate district.
Waite (1916) combined Regan’s classification with a geographical
one and divided the whole southern ocean into four quadrants :
1. Australian Zonal Quadrant (Victoria Quadrant) ;
2. Pacific Zonal Quadrant (Ross Quadrant) ;
3. American Zonal Quadrant (Weddell Quadrant) ;
4. African Zonal Quadrant (Enderby Quadrant).
The resultant Quadrant-Zone-District classification, although based
upon logical 90’ divisions, had of course no biological significance. The