Ammothea species (Pycnogonida: Ammotheidae) collected during the Polarstern cruise ANT-XXIX/3 to Antarctic waters, with a description of a new species

ABSTRACT

Specimens of Pycogonida belonging to the genus Ammothea collected during the Polarstern ANT-XXIX/3 cruise (January 22–March 18, 2013), to Bransfield Strait and Eastern Weddell Sea, were studied. Eight species are recognized in this collection: Ammothea bicorniculata, A. calmani, A. carolinensis, A. clausi, A. minor, A. nadiae n. sp., A. spinosa, and A. striata. Morphological variability is discussed. The bathymetric range of A. bicorniculata and A. minor is enlarged and A. bicorniculata is reported for only the second time. Ammothea nadiae n. sp. is described and compared with its closest congeners. An updated key to species is presented.

SUBJECT EDITOR:

• Tina Molodtsova

KEYWORDS:

• Sea spider
• pycnogonids
• key to species
• Bransfield Strait
• Eastern Weddell Sea

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the officers and crew and many colleagues for their help on board during the Polarstern ANT-XXIX/3 cruises. We take this opportunity to extend our thanks to the cruise leader and steering committee of the cruise, especially Julian Gutt and Enrique Isla, all of whom kindly facilitated the work on board and allowed us to collaborate in this Antarctic programme. We thank Stefan Friedrich (Zoologische Staatssammlung München) for the loan of the specimen examined by Weis, here assigned to the proposed new species. The authors also thank the criticisms and suggestions provided by two anonymous referees and the Editor of MBR. Mr. Tony Krupa is thanked for reviewing the English version.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Esperanza Cano-Sánchez http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8097-1872

Pablo J. López-González http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7348-6270

Additional information

Funding

The participation of one of the authors (PJL-G) during the Polarstern ANT-XXIX/3 cruises and the collection of the present studied material was funded by the project ECOWED (CTM2012-39350-C02-01) of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2008-2011), Spain.