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Benthic hydroids from off Low Island (Southern Ocean, Antarctica)
Author(s) -
Peña Cantero Álvaro Luis
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12031
Subject(s) - benthic zone , genus , ecology , biology , hydrozoa , biodiversity , zoology , cnidaria , coral
A survey of marine benthic community biodiversity off L ow I sland ( S outhern O cean) was carried out by the S panish A ntarctic E xpedition B entart 2006 , using the BIO H espérides . Samples from the expedition included an important collection of hydroids. A total of 39 species was recorded, two of them being new to science ( E udendrium bentart sp. nov., and O rthopyxis curiosa sp. nov.), belonging to the subclasses A nthoathecata and L eptothecata. Anthoathecates are represented by only two species, both referable to the genus E udendrium . The 37 leptothecate species belong to the families C ampanulinidae, L afoeidae, H aleciidae, S chizotrichidae, K irchenpaueriidae, S ertulariidae and C ampanulariidae. Sertulariidae is the most diverse family with 16 species (41%), followed by C ampanulariidae with five species (13%) and H aleciidae, S chizotrichidae and K irchenpaueriidae with four species (10%) each. At the generic level, the predominant genera are S ymplectoscyphus with nine species (23%) and H alecium , O swaldella and S chizotricha with four species (10%) each. Fifteen of the 39 species represent new records for the waters surrounding L ow I sland, as also are three ( L afoeina , O percularella and O rthopyxis ) of the 16 genera. In all, 33 species ( c . 81%) are endemic to Antarctic waters, either with a circum‐ A ntarctic (20 species, c . 49%) or W est A ntarctic (13 species, c . 32%) distribution. Thirty‐eight species ( c . 93%) are restricted to A ntarctic or A ntarctic/sub‐ A ntarctic waters; only three species have a wider distribution. The Low Island hydroid fauna is composed of typical representatives of the Antarctic benthic hydroid fauna, with good representation of some of the most diverse and widespread Antarctic genera such as A ntarctoscyphus , O swaldella , S chizotricha and S taurotheca .