ANTARUTIU BENTHOS
67
Haminqia arctica Koren and Danielssen. The latter two are northern
species identified from the Antarctic (Stephen, 1941). The Antarctic
records of Maxmulleria faex are based on one fragmentary and two
complete specimens from the South Shetlands, that of Hamingia on a
slightly damaged specimen from the same locality.
L. Brachiopoda
The major contributions to the literature of Antarctic brachiopods
have been Joubin (1901, 1914), Blochman (1906, 1912), Jackson (1912,
1918) and Thomson (1918). Foster (1969) has summarized our present
knowledge of the composition of the Antarctic fauna, and the distribution of the species. Foster stressed that the Antarctic fauna is still
incompletely sampled, and this is amply borne out by the sporadic
distribution of many species shown on distribution maps.
Sixteen species have been recorded from the Antarctic, which compares favourably with the numbers from other Southern Hemisphere
land masses, e.g. southern Australia (17), New Zealand (lo), South
Africa (16) and South America (11). Of the 16 Antarctic species, 11
appear to be endemic. One genus Compsothyris is endemic to the
Antarctic. Foster considers that Aerothyris joubini (Blochman) and
Compsothyris racovitzae (Joubin) are circumpolar in distribution. From
his distribution maps it would appear likely that more extensive sampling will show that at least Crania lecointei Joubin, Amphithyris sp.,
and Aerothyrisfragilis (Smith) are also circumpolar, as well as the widespread deep-water species Pelagodiscus atlanticus (King).
Some Antarctic brachiopods have wide bathymetric ranges, e.g. :
Pelagodiscus atlanticus (366-5 530 m)
Compsothyris racovitxae (329-2 580 m)
Liothyrella antarctica (Blockman) (75-2 273 m)
Liothyrella uva (Davidson) (0-2 150 m)
Macandrevia diaminta Dall (2 580-4 066 m)
Most of the similarities between the Antarctic and the recent faunas
of New Zealand and Australia, and to some extent between South
America and Antarctica, are probably due to a common pre-Tertiary
fauna,. Present evidence suggests that deep-water forms such as Macandrevia and Liothyrella have migrated to Antarctica from South
America, and the process may still be continuing. The genus Macandrevia (family Dallinidae) is found in the Southern Hemisphere only
off South America and in the Antarctic. New Zealand has two genera,
of the Antarctic fauna (Amphithyris and Liothyrella) amongst its fauna,
and the Australian genus Magellania is quite close to the Antarctic
67
Haminqia arctica Koren and Danielssen. The latter two are northern
species identified from the Antarctic (Stephen, 1941). The Antarctic
records of Maxmulleria faex are based on one fragmentary and two
complete specimens from the South Shetlands, that of Hamingia on a
slightly damaged specimen from the same locality.
L. Brachiopoda
The major contributions to the literature of Antarctic brachiopods
have been Joubin (1901, 1914), Blochman (1906, 1912), Jackson (1912,
1918) and Thomson (1918). Foster (1969) has summarized our present
knowledge of the composition of the Antarctic fauna, and the distribution of the species. Foster stressed that the Antarctic fauna is still
incompletely sampled, and this is amply borne out by the sporadic
distribution of many species shown on distribution maps.
Sixteen species have been recorded from the Antarctic, which compares favourably with the numbers from other Southern Hemisphere
land masses, e.g. southern Australia (17), New Zealand (lo), South
Africa (16) and South America (11). Of the 16 Antarctic species, 11
appear to be endemic. One genus Compsothyris is endemic to the
Antarctic. Foster considers that Aerothyris joubini (Blochman) and
Compsothyris racovitzae (Joubin) are circumpolar in distribution. From
his distribution maps it would appear likely that more extensive sampling will show that at least Crania lecointei Joubin, Amphithyris sp.,
and Aerothyrisfragilis (Smith) are also circumpolar, as well as the widespread deep-water species Pelagodiscus atlanticus (King).
Some Antarctic brachiopods have wide bathymetric ranges, e.g. :
Pelagodiscus atlanticus (366-5 530 m)
Compsothyris racovitxae (329-2 580 m)
Liothyrella antarctica (Blockman) (75-2 273 m)
Liothyrella uva (Davidson) (0-2 150 m)
Macandrevia diaminta Dall (2 580-4 066 m)
Most of the similarities between the Antarctic and the recent faunas
of New Zealand and Australia, and to some extent between South
America and Antarctica, are probably due to a common pre-Tertiary
fauna,. Present evidence suggests that deep-water forms such as Macandrevia and Liothyrella have migrated to Antarctica from South
America, and the process may still be continuing. The genus Macandrevia (family Dallinidae) is found in the Southern Hemisphere only
off South America and in the Antarctic. New Zealand has two genera,
of the Antarctic fauna (Amphithyris and Liothyrella) amongst its fauna,
and the Australian genus Magellania is quite close to the Antarctic