ANTARCTIC BENTHOS
79
Munnidae, seven of Antarcturus, and four of Serolis are commonly
found.
2. A West Antarctic group (narrow sense) characterized by the 16
species endemic to Graham Land and the associated islands (South
Shetlands and South Orkneys). Four of these are species ofserolis, three
of Antarcturus, and two belong t o the family Munnidae. The genus
Dolichus (represented in East Antarctica by D. meridionalis Hodgson)
has a related West Antarctic species, D. pfefleri Richardson.
3. A circum-Antarctic group is represented by 14 species which
extend around the continent. These include species of Cirolanu, Aega,
Serolis, Leptanthura, Antias, Edotia, Microarcturus and Stenetrium.
4. A Low Antarctic group, with 15 species endemic to South
Georgia, Shag Rocks, the South Sandwich and Bouvet Islands. These
include four species of Serolis, three of Desmosomu, two of Antarcturus
and two of Munna.
5. A West Antarctic group (wide sense) contains three species
ranging from South Georgia to western Antarctica, one species from
each of the genera, Plalcarthrium, Antarcturus and Microarcturus.
6. Three species recorded only from East Antarctica and South
Georgia, Eurycope frigida Vanh6ffen, Austrosignum glaciale Hodgson
and Ianthopsis nasicornis VanhBffen.
7. A pan-Antarctic group, occurring on the coasts of Antarctica
and extending to the marginal zones of the Antarctic. This group
includes the two monotypic genera Ectias and Glyptonotus.
South Georgia: Some 58 species of isopods and tanaids have been
recorded from South Georgia (Kusakin, 1967). Of these 14 species are
endemic to South Georgia, 25 are common to the Antarctic Peninsula,
and 14 are known also from East Antarctica. However, these are not
exclusive relationships since many of these species are also found in the
Subantarctic. Thus of the 58 species known from South Georgia, 21
species also occur on Kerguelen, 15 on the Falklands and 12 off Tierra
del Fuego (Kusakin, 1967). Relationships of the fauna a t the generic
level are stronger with the Antarctic than with the Subantarctic.
Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights is a large idoteid isopod which is
widely distributed throughout the Antarctic having been recorded from
the Ross Sea, the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetlands, the South
Orkneys and South Georgia in depths from 1 to 585 m. Although described by Eights from the South Shetlands in 1852 and discussed by
practically every worker on the systematics of southern isopods it is
only recently that much has been recorded of its biology. Dearborn
(1967) wrote on its food and reproduction, based on studies carried out
at McMurdo Sound, and White (1970) has recorded some aspects of its
79
Munnidae, seven of Antarcturus, and four of Serolis are commonly
found.
2. A West Antarctic group (narrow sense) characterized by the 16
species endemic to Graham Land and the associated islands (South
Shetlands and South Orkneys). Four of these are species ofserolis, three
of Antarcturus, and two belong t o the family Munnidae. The genus
Dolichus (represented in East Antarctica by D. meridionalis Hodgson)
has a related West Antarctic species, D. pfefleri Richardson.
3. A circum-Antarctic group is represented by 14 species which
extend around the continent. These include species of Cirolanu, Aega,
Serolis, Leptanthura, Antias, Edotia, Microarcturus and Stenetrium.
4. A Low Antarctic group, with 15 species endemic to South
Georgia, Shag Rocks, the South Sandwich and Bouvet Islands. These
include four species of Serolis, three of Desmosomu, two of Antarcturus
and two of Munna.
5. A West Antarctic group (wide sense) contains three species
ranging from South Georgia to western Antarctica, one species from
each of the genera, Plalcarthrium, Antarcturus and Microarcturus.
6. Three species recorded only from East Antarctica and South
Georgia, Eurycope frigida Vanh6ffen, Austrosignum glaciale Hodgson
and Ianthopsis nasicornis VanhBffen.
7. A pan-Antarctic group, occurring on the coasts of Antarctica
and extending to the marginal zones of the Antarctic. This group
includes the two monotypic genera Ectias and Glyptonotus.
South Georgia: Some 58 species of isopods and tanaids have been
recorded from South Georgia (Kusakin, 1967). Of these 14 species are
endemic to South Georgia, 25 are common to the Antarctic Peninsula,
and 14 are known also from East Antarctica. However, these are not
exclusive relationships since many of these species are also found in the
Subantarctic. Thus of the 58 species known from South Georgia, 21
species also occur on Kerguelen, 15 on the Falklands and 12 off Tierra
del Fuego (Kusakin, 1967). Relationships of the fauna a t the generic
level are stronger with the Antarctic than with the Subantarctic.
Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights is a large idoteid isopod which is
widely distributed throughout the Antarctic having been recorded from
the Ross Sea, the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetlands, the South
Orkneys and South Georgia in depths from 1 to 585 m. Although described by Eights from the South Shetlands in 1852 and discussed by
practically every worker on the systematics of southern isopods it is
only recently that much has been recorded of its biology. Dearborn
(1967) wrote on its food and reproduction, based on studies carried out
at McMurdo Sound, and White (1970) has recorded some aspects of its