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Ophiuroid community structure of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula region

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Abstract

During the BENTART 95 survey, epifauna was sampled with an Agassiz trawl at 24 stations ranging from north of Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands) to the Antarctic Peninsula at depths from 40 to 850 m. Four assemblages of ophiuroids were identified and correspond to Deception Island, Trinity Island, and the southern and northern zones of Livingston Island. In addition to these regions, gradients related to depth and filter-feeder biomass were found. The brittle-star assemblages were dominated by Ophionotus victoriae Bell, 1902, which to a large extent determine the biogeographic structure in the South Shetland Islands.

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Acknowledgements

The "Bentart 95" Survey and the systematic study of ophiuroid material were carried out under the auspices of two Spanish Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CICYT) Antarctic Programmes (nos. ANT94-1161-E and ANT97-2097-E). We would like to express our thanks to Dr. D.L Pawson, Dr. C. Ahearn and Dr. S. Hottenrott of the National Museum of Natural History for reviewing the systematics, and to the officers and crew of R/V "Hespérides" who played an important role in the materialization of the project. We are also grateful to our colleagues of the "Agassiz team" for their hard work sampling on board R/V "Hespérides" during the "Bentart 95" cruise: P.M. Arnaud, A.A. Ramos-Esplá, F. Ramil, C.M. López de la Cuadra and I. Olaso.

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  1. Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, 29071 , Málaga, Spain

    M. E. Manjón-Cabeza

  2. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Puerto Pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain

    A. Ramos

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  1. M. E. Manjón-Cabeza
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Correspondence to M. E. Manjón-Cabeza.

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Manjón-Cabeza, M.E., Ramos, A. Ophiuroid community structure of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula region. Polar Biol 26, 691–699 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-003-0539-3

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