crinoids respectively. The FRV Walter Herwig in 1966 and 1971 studied the
Uruguayean and Argentine Break, and the Malvinas Islands. From this expedition
Bernasconi (1973b) studied the ophiuroids, echinoids and asteroids, and Hernández (1982) studied the holothuroids. For the second campaign (1971) of the Walter
Herwig, only the ophiuroids were studied by Bartsch (1982).
The USNS Hero (1969–1971) from the US Antarctic Research Program explored
the Argentine shelf. Tommasi et al. (1993) studied the ophiuroids and Larrain Prat
(1975) studied the echinoids. There were no reports of other echinoderm classes.
Since 1955, Russian vessels such as RV Ob (1955–1958), RV Akademik
Kurchatov (1971), RV Dmitriy Mendeleev (1989) and RV Akademik Sergei
Vavilov explored the western coast of South America. Abyssal echinoderms
associated with the waters of the Argentine Sea were collected (Gebruk 1988,
1990, 1993; Gebruk and Shirshov 1994; Malyutina 2004).
From 1965 to 1972 a Brazilian vessel Almirante Saldanha explored the
Brazilian, Uruguayean and Argentine waters, from 20°S to 38°S. Tommasi (1965,
1966, 1968, 1969a, b, 1970, 1971, 1974) and Tommasi et al. (1988a, b) described
all of the echinoderms collected.
The Shinkai Maru, from Japan, made twelve expeditions to the Argentine Sea
between 1978 and 1979. Four of these campaigns collected echinoderms from 46
benthic stations. Only the results of holothuroids have been published (Hernández
1982, 1985).
Many Argentinian vessels have explored the Argentine Sea: ARA Rosales,
ARA Azopardo, ARA Patria, ARA San Luis, CAP Undine, ARA Independencia,
ARA Pueyrredón, CAP Maneco, ARA Comodoro Rivadavia, ARA Bahía Blanca,
ARA Capitán Cánepa, ARA Zapiola, Hero, Sta. Maria Magdalena, Lamatra,
Torre Blanca, ARA San Juan, ARA Madryn, B/O Puerto Deseado and multiple
expeditions from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero
(INIDEP) (Bernasconi 1937, 1941b, 1953, 1962b, 1964a, b, c, 1972; Bernasconi
and D’Agostino 1977; Hernández 1981, 1982, 1987).
11.2.2 Diversity
The echinoderm diversity of Argentina (Table 11.1; Appendix) is composed by
134 species, being Asteroidea the most speciose with 58, followed by Ophiuroidea
(32), Holothuroidea (26), Echinoidea (16), and Crinoidea (2). Nevertheless, the
taxonomic status of some groups (i.e. Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea and Holothuroidea)
needs to be reviewed.
Crinoidea
The stalked crinoids, predominantly associated with bathyal zones (Messing 1997;
Améziane and Roux 1997), have not been found in the Argentine Sea. Mortensen
366
M. I. Brogger et al.
Uruguayean and Argentine Break, and the Malvinas Islands. From this expedition
Bernasconi (1973b) studied the ophiuroids, echinoids and asteroids, and Hernández (1982) studied the holothuroids. For the second campaign (1971) of the Walter
Herwig, only the ophiuroids were studied by Bartsch (1982).
The USNS Hero (1969–1971) from the US Antarctic Research Program explored
the Argentine shelf. Tommasi et al. (1993) studied the ophiuroids and Larrain Prat
(1975) studied the echinoids. There were no reports of other echinoderm classes.
Since 1955, Russian vessels such as RV Ob (1955–1958), RV Akademik
Kurchatov (1971), RV Dmitriy Mendeleev (1989) and RV Akademik Sergei
Vavilov explored the western coast of South America. Abyssal echinoderms
associated with the waters of the Argentine Sea were collected (Gebruk 1988,
1990, 1993; Gebruk and Shirshov 1994; Malyutina 2004).
From 1965 to 1972 a Brazilian vessel Almirante Saldanha explored the
Brazilian, Uruguayean and Argentine waters, from 20°S to 38°S. Tommasi (1965,
1966, 1968, 1969a, b, 1970, 1971, 1974) and Tommasi et al. (1988a, b) described
all of the echinoderms collected.
The Shinkai Maru, from Japan, made twelve expeditions to the Argentine Sea
between 1978 and 1979. Four of these campaigns collected echinoderms from 46
benthic stations. Only the results of holothuroids have been published (Hernández
1982, 1985).
Many Argentinian vessels have explored the Argentine Sea: ARA Rosales,
ARA Azopardo, ARA Patria, ARA San Luis, CAP Undine, ARA Independencia,
ARA Pueyrredón, CAP Maneco, ARA Comodoro Rivadavia, ARA Bahía Blanca,
ARA Capitán Cánepa, ARA Zapiola, Hero, Sta. Maria Magdalena, Lamatra,
Torre Blanca, ARA San Juan, ARA Madryn, B/O Puerto Deseado and multiple
expeditions from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero
(INIDEP) (Bernasconi 1937, 1941b, 1953, 1962b, 1964a, b, c, 1972; Bernasconi
and D’Agostino 1977; Hernández 1981, 1982, 1987).
11.2.2 Diversity
The echinoderm diversity of Argentina (Table 11.1; Appendix) is composed by
134 species, being Asteroidea the most speciose with 58, followed by Ophiuroidea
(32), Holothuroidea (26), Echinoidea (16), and Crinoidea (2). Nevertheless, the
taxonomic status of some groups (i.e. Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea and Holothuroidea)
needs to be reviewed.
Crinoidea
The stalked crinoids, predominantly associated with bathyal zones (Messing 1997;
Améziane and Roux 1997), have not been found in the Argentine Sea. Mortensen
366
M. I. Brogger et al.