Recent samples of mainly rare decapod Crustacea taken from the deep-sea floor of the southern West Europe Basin

摘要

During cruise 198 of F.R.V. 'Walther Herwig III' in August/September 1998, eight successful hauls were made in the southern part of the West Europe Basin from the bottom in a depth of about 4700 m. Seven samples where taken around 46°N, 17°W and one at 46°N, 13°W. In the same region, two decapod crustaceans were dredged during cruise 175 in 1996 and one in 1993. The following species of typical deep-sea decapods, most of them rarely recorded, were collected: Willemoesia leptodactyla (Willemoes-Suhm, 1873); Parapagurus abyssorum (Filhol, 1885); Munidopsis crassa Smith, 1885; Munidopsis parfaiti (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894); Heterogenys microphthalma (Smith, 1885); Glyphocrangon atlantica Chace, 1939; Benthesicymus brasiliensis Bate, 1881; Benthesicymus iridescens Bate, 1881; Plesiopenaeus armatus (Bate, 1881). For most of these species of Reptantia and Natantia, our knowledge on vertical and/or geographic range is extended considerably by the new records and some new records enable us to enlarge our knowledge on morphological variations within these species.