60
R. K. DELL
Androsova (1968) listed all the Cyclostomata and Ctenostomata
known from the Antarctic and Subantarctic and showed the distribution for each species. Of the total of 59 species recorded from the
Antarctic, 22 were believed to be confined to the Antarctic, 20 were
known from the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions, while 17 had a
wider distribution.
N. Pycnogonida
Although already known from elsewhere, the pycnogonids were
amongst the very first Antarctic animals to be collected. James Eights
(1836) described one from the South Shetlands and started a controversy
that is perhaps not even yet settled. Sir James Clark Ross (1847,
pp. 199, 201) described the finding of several specimens in 230 and
270 fm in the Ross Sea. Our knowledge of Antarctic pycnogonids has
been slowly gained, the main contributions more or less in chronological
order being: Hodgson (1902, 1907, 1908, 1927), Bouvier (l905,1906a,b,
1913), Calman (1915), Loman (1923), Gordon (1932, 1938, 1944),
Stephensen (1947), Hedgpeth (1950), Utinomi (1959) and Fry and
Hedgpeth (1969). Two recent reviews,Fry (1964) and Hedgpeth (1969a),
give very useful summaries. Unfortunately for the present review the
most recent systematic work (Fry and Hedgpeth, 1969) does not deal
with the whole fauna. I n spite of the general title, ‘‘ The E’auna of the
Ross Sea ”, this work is a complete review of the Antarctic pycnogonids.
Only four families are treated in this first part, the Colossendeidae,
Pycnogonidae, Endeidae and Ammotheidae. This first report therefore
deals with 17 out of a total of 26 Antarctic genera. It is only these
groups that are covered in the distribution maps presented by Hedgpeth
(1969).
Fry (1964) gave a brief biogeographical summary for the pycnogonids known from the Antarctic. At that date 14 genera and approximately 100 species were known from the Antarctic. Of these 14 genera,
two, Azcstropallene and Ammothea are found only on the shelf of the
continent, while Pentanymphon, Decolopoda and Dodecolopoda are only
found south of the Antarctic Convergence. This adds up to five endemic
genera out of 14. Fry pointed out that this is a relatively high degree
of generic endemism when other faunal areas are considered. There
are only 36 genera of pycnogonids known and 75% of these occur together in the major ocean basins. More than 90% of the Antarctic
pycnogonid species are endemic.
Fry (1964) was a little doubtful if there was sufficient evidence to
make the claim that pycnogonids were particularly common in the
R. K. DELL
Androsova (1968) listed all the Cyclostomata and Ctenostomata
known from the Antarctic and Subantarctic and showed the distribution for each species. Of the total of 59 species recorded from the
Antarctic, 22 were believed to be confined to the Antarctic, 20 were
known from the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions, while 17 had a
wider distribution.
N. Pycnogonida
Although already known from elsewhere, the pycnogonids were
amongst the very first Antarctic animals to be collected. James Eights
(1836) described one from the South Shetlands and started a controversy
that is perhaps not even yet settled. Sir James Clark Ross (1847,
pp. 199, 201) described the finding of several specimens in 230 and
270 fm in the Ross Sea. Our knowledge of Antarctic pycnogonids has
been slowly gained, the main contributions more or less in chronological
order being: Hodgson (1902, 1907, 1908, 1927), Bouvier (l905,1906a,b,
1913), Calman (1915), Loman (1923), Gordon (1932, 1938, 1944),
Stephensen (1947), Hedgpeth (1950), Utinomi (1959) and Fry and
Hedgpeth (1969). Two recent reviews,Fry (1964) and Hedgpeth (1969a),
give very useful summaries. Unfortunately for the present review the
most recent systematic work (Fry and Hedgpeth, 1969) does not deal
with the whole fauna. I n spite of the general title, ‘‘ The E’auna of the
Ross Sea ”, this work is a complete review of the Antarctic pycnogonids.
Only four families are treated in this first part, the Colossendeidae,
Pycnogonidae, Endeidae and Ammotheidae. This first report therefore
deals with 17 out of a total of 26 Antarctic genera. It is only these
groups that are covered in the distribution maps presented by Hedgpeth
(1969).
Fry (1964) gave a brief biogeographical summary for the pycnogonids known from the Antarctic. At that date 14 genera and approximately 100 species were known from the Antarctic. Of these 14 genera,
two, Azcstropallene and Ammothea are found only on the shelf of the
continent, while Pentanymphon, Decolopoda and Dodecolopoda are only
found south of the Antarctic Convergence. This adds up to five endemic
genera out of 14. Fry pointed out that this is a relatively high degree
of generic endemism when other faunal areas are considered. There
are only 36 genera of pycnogonids known and 75% of these occur together in the major ocean basins. More than 90% of the Antarctic
pycnogonid species are endemic.
Fry (1964) was a little doubtful if there was sufficient evidence to
make the claim that pycnogonids were particularly common in the