Final Report 9

3. Results

3.1 Taxonomy

Summary assessments of sub-collections at various levels of taxonomic resolution

Porifera (sponges)

Dr Monika A. Schlacher-Hoenlinger

Sponge assemblages were sampled from 168 stations from 7 focus areas over an

average depth range that straddled the subtidal – bathyal transition (50-1934 m)

using a combination of sampling equipment.

Out of the 168 sampling stations, 93 recorded no sponges. The leading factor seems

to be related to equipment efficiency and is independent of sampling effort (Figure

3.1.1).

From the remaining 68 stations, a total of 275 species, belonging to three classes of

porifera, were recorded.

From these three classes, two (Calcarea and Hexactinellida) remain unidentified, and

only the number of different species was recorded (Calcarea: 4; Hexactinellida: 65).

Hexactinellida are currently being identified by German and Russian systematists

who already indicate a suite of new taxa, even at this early stage.

Demospongiae fauna was diverse consisting of 206 species, belonging to 99 families,

52 genera and 13 orders.

10 Final Report

Nevertheless, local species richness varied widely per focus area with a minimum of

three species found at Wanganella Bank to a maximum of 133 species collected at

Lord Howe Rise (Figure 3.1.1).

The majority of species had highly compressed ranges, with 77% of recorded species

being restricted to a single site; thus, ‘spot endemics’ were clearly the dominant

geographic distribution class amongst this sponge fauna. Only 18% of species were

found at two stations, 1.7% at three stations, and under 1% at more than three sites.

Calcarean sponges were extremely rare, where 3 of the 4 species were found at the

same site at Norfolk Island Region, and one species at Wanganella Bank (Figure

3.1.2).

Nearly a quarter of the sponges (23.6%) were Hexactinellids, with an even

distribution over nearly the entire area and the entire depth range (Figure 3.2). This

distribution pattern might be related to fine sediment accumulation on the flat tops of

the seamounts, which is allegedly the preferred habitat type for Hexactinellids.

In contrast to the evenly distributed Hexactinellida, Demospongiae showed a clumped

distribution pattern with a distinct peak in species richness at Lord Howe Rise (Figure

3.1.2).

The occurrence of a highly specialised group of carnivorous sponges, belonging to

the family Cladorhizidae (Dendy, 1922), deserves special mention. These sponges

were extremely rare (found only at five stations), and though they were evenly

distributed over the entire sampling area, the occurrence is mainly associated with

deep-water habitats (under 760 m).

Lord Howe Rise showed highest species richness while few sponges were collected

from the Wanganella Bank. North Norfolk Ridge also showed low sponge diversity

(Figures 3.1.1, 3.1.2).

Final Report 11

The highly localized species distributions, high levels of ‘spot endemism’, elevated

numbers of ‘living fossils’ (Lithistids), highly specialised groups e.g. carnivorous

sponges, and “taxonomic distinctness” patterns make the Norfolk area a very unique

oceanographic environment.

Taxonomic identifications of Demospongiae to species level remains work-in-

progress.

76 71

22

133

31

63

321 25

723 19

42

180

20

40

6080

100

120

140

South NorfolkRidge

Norfolk IslandRegion

North NorfolkRidge

Lord Howe Rise Lord HowePlateau

West NorfolkRidge

WanganellaBank

no. of porifera species no. of stations sampled

Figure 3.1.1. Porifera species richness and collection effort at different sites within the Norfolk Ridge region.

0 3 0 0 0 0 1

2716 13

3323 26

1

49 52

9

100

8

37

10

20

40

60

80

100

120

South NorfolkRidge

Norfolk IslandRegion

North NorfolkRidge

Lord Howe Rise Lord HowePlateau

West NorfolkRidge

WanganellaBank

Calcarea Hexactinellida Demospongiae

Figure 3.1.2. Sponge distribution (Calcarea, Hexactinellida, Demospongiae) within the Norfolk region. Sponges collected at the NORFANZ cruise 2003.

12 Final Report

Cnidaria: Scyphozoa (jellyfishes)

Michael Dawson

General Introduction

The scyphomedusae are the “jellyfish” with which most people are generally familiar. They

are members of the orders Coronatae, Rhizostomeae, and Semaeostomeae in Class

Scyphozoa. Key English-language publications addressing aspects of the systematics of the

group include Mayer (1910), Kramp (1961), and Russell (1970) while regional overviews of

some southern hemisphere medusae are provided by Kramp (1965), Larson (1986), and

Mianzan & Cornelius (1999). Information on southern cold-water scyphomedusae post-

dating Larson (1986) may also be found in, among others, Larson & Harbison (1990), Pagès

& Kurbjeweit (1994), Piatowski et al. (1994), Pagès et al. (1994, 1996), Pagès (1997), and

Pugh et al. (1997).

The scyphomedusae are usually referred to as planktonic although many are natatorial

(some strongly so) and a few are largely sessile. The medusa constitutes only one part, the

sexual stage, of a generally bipartite scyphozoan life cycle, the other part being the benthic

asexually reproducing polypoid scyphistoma. However, there are occasional exceptions,

including reduction or loss of either the medusa or scyphistoma phases. Direct development,

which bypasses the scyphistoma stage, is known in only two species, both are oceanic:

Pelagia noctiluca and Periphylla periphylla (Arai 1997; Jarms et al. 1999, 2002). However,

the occurrence of eggs in oceanic medusae (including Atolla spp., P. periphylla, and Poralia

rufescens) that are an order of magnitude larger than eggs in neritic species indicates direct

development may be commonplace in oceanic species (Larson 1986). Although egg-size

data were uncorrected for both the size of mature medusa and phylogenetic autocorrelation,

Final Report 13

and although the relationship between some coronate scyphomedusae and scyphistomae

(e.g. Nausithoë) is still unclear (Dawson 2004), the egg-size data are at least consistent with

the hypothesis that having a benthic scyphistoma stage would not be advantageous to

oceanic scyphozoans (Larson 1986). In the extreme, greater reduction of the life-cycle may

be favoured – Stygiomedusa gigantea is viviparous (Russell & Rees 1960).

The life-history of scyphomedusae is mirrored in their habitat and distribution. Species with a

scyphistoma are coastal or neritic, while species probably lacking the scyphistoma are

oceanic. Coastal and neritic meroplanktonic species tend to have restricted geographical

ranges, whereas oceanic holoplanktonic species are widely distributed, perhaps even

cosmopolitan. This does not mean widespread scyphomedusae are uniformly distributed;

even cosmopolites show variation in abundance both geographically and with depth. For

example, Atolla wyvillei and P. periphylla both have density maxima south of the Antarctic

Convergence and are found predominantly in the mesopelagic or upper bathypelagic (Larson

1986). Moreover, some scyphomedusae may move 100’s of metres within several hours

during diurnal vertical migrations (Larson 1986; Arai 1997). Wherever they occur,

scyphomedusae likely constitute a significant fraction of the zooplankton biomass (Larson

1986; Pugh et al. 1997).

Within the last 30 years, technological improvements – such as shipboard and land-based

planktonkreisels (Hamner 1990; Raskoff et al. 2003), manned submersibles and ROVs (e.g.

Larson et al.1991; Dennis 2003) – and a new emphasis on studying gelatinous zooplankton

in situ (Hamner 1985) have dramatically increased our knowledge, particularly of the

behaviour and delicate morphology of scyphomedusae (e.g. Hunt & Lindsay 1998). These

improvements highlighted deficiencies in traditional oceanographic methods that were not

14 Final Report

well suited to studying fragile jellyfishes (Larson et al. 1991) and which probably contributed

to a severe underestimate of biodiversity in the scyphomedusae.

Biodiversity Summary

Compared with other classes of pelagic medusae, scyphomedusae are moderately diverse.

Current estimates based on traditional morphological taxonomy indicate there are

approximately 800 species of hydromedusae (Bouillon 1999; Pugh 1999), 200 species of

scyphomedusae, and 15 species of cubomedusae (Mianzan & Cornelius 1999);

approximately 25 species of scyphomedusae, belonging only to Coronatae and

Semaeostomeae, are known from the Southern Ocean of which one-fifth are endemic (Atolla

chuni, Desmonema comatum, Desmonema gaudichaudi, Desmonema glaciale, Diplulmaris

antarctica; Larson 1986). However, these numbers may be underestimates due to a

probably often-incorrect assumption that many scyphomedusan species are cosmopolitan

(Mianzan & Cornelius 1999). For example, recent statistical morphological and molecular

phylogenetic analyses have distinguished a dozen geographically restricted cryptic species

in just two genera Aurelia aurita and Cyanea capillata (Dawson 2003; Dawson in press).

Considering a wider range of species with diverse life-histories and habitats the most

comprehensive molecular analysis to date indicates that estimates of scyphomedusan

species diversity should be at least doubled (Dawson 2004). Two caveats on this estimate

are pertinent to oceanic collections. First, cryptic species may not be as common in oceanic

as in neritic taxa because, in contrast to neritic species which appear to be geographically

restricted, oceanic species may be widely distributed (Larson 1986; Dawson 2004). Second,

due to historical technological limitations there remain probably many undiscovered meso-

and bathy-pelagic scyphomedusae (Matsumoto et al. 2003). These things considered, we

Final Report 15

can realistically expect the number of scyphomedusae known from all parts of the ocean to

increase in number as modern investigative techniques are applied more widely.

Although the focus on species diversity is often paramount, biodiversity is also important at

infra-specific levels. Morphological, behavioural, and molecular analyses have revealed new

subspecies and apparently locally adapted populations of neritic scyphomedusae (e.g.

Dawson & Hamner 2003; Dawson 2005). These results may also be relevant to studies of

open- or deep-ocean species.

Conservation value

Beyond the assumed intrinsic value of biodiversity, most species of scyphomedusae have

little economic worth. Only approximately one-tenth of the species in one order

(Rhizostomeae) are commercially fished (Omori & Nakano 2001). However,

scyphomedusae may have a great impact on the ecosystems in which they exist, and there

is considerable benefit in the management of potentially negative effects of scyphomedusae.

Problematic blooms of scyphomedsusae are thought to result from environmental

degradation (e.g. eutrophication, overfishing) and species introduction (Graham & Purcell

2001; Mills 2001). Jellyfish blooms can clear prey items from very large volumes or seawater

daily (Graham et al. 2003), thus dramatically altering ecosystem structure, as well as

impacting human activities directly, for example by clogging and damaging fishing gear,

blocking water intakes for cooling systems on ships and power-plants, and interrupting

coastal recreation (e.g. Mianzan & Cornelius 1999; Graham & Purcell 2001; Mills 2001).

Clearly, at this time, such issues are of limited concern in the open- and deep-ocean.

16 Final Report

Cnidaria: Octocorallia (octocorals)

Phil Alderslade

The seamount octocoral fauna sampled during the expedition comprises material of the

Order Alcyonacea (soft corals, sea fans and sea whips) and the Order Pennatulacea (sea

pens).

The alcyonacean material, though quite diverse, is low in biomass, with many species being

represented by only a few colonies, and a large number by only one. Only at site 24, a

shallow region flat enough to be well sampled by beam trawl, yielded a large number of

colonies. The collection represents 13 families, 47 genera and 93 species. At this stage of

the investigation, at least five genera and 13 species are recognised as new to science.

Only a further 10 taxa have been identified to species level.

The pennatulacean material is quite diverse, considering that the animals are obligate soft

bottom dwellers inserted vertically into the sediment and not found on rock substrate. The

collection represents seven families, nine genera and 19 species. At this time, one species

is recognised as new to science and a further six taxa have been identified to species level.

With more time and resources, further research would most certainly enable more species to

be identified and many more new species to be discovered. Investigators will be hampered,

however, as in many other faunal groups, by poor and inaccurate literature in a field where

most genera need total revision using modern techniques. Given that there are no previous

reports of octocorals from the regions sampled, all the material can be considered as new

records. Naturally, further comment is needed, and is supplied below. But the accuracy of

this comparative distributional data is limited due to the problems stated above. Many taxa

Final Report 17

are present in the literature as synonyms, some known and certainly some unknown; many

or most of which have yet to be authenticated. Viminella, for example, a genus of whip-like

gorgonian of the family Ellisellidae, is present in the literature as both whip-like and branched

nominal species of Ellisella, Scirpearella and Toeplitzella. In a generic level review of the

family, Bayer and Grasshoff (1994) made the following remarks about Viminella: “The valid

species-group taxa of Viminella will be determined only by a comprehensive revision based

upon adequate collections…”.In the key presented by Kükenthal (1924: 368), thirteen

species are characterised as unbranched and may be referable to Viminella”. Because of

such common uncertainties, some of the comments give below are necessarily rather

general.

Previously known distributions:

O. Alcyonacea:.

F. Clavulariidae:

Telestula: moderate to deep water; West Indies, South Africa, north Atlantic

(European side), Hawaii, California, Indonesia.

Rhodelinda: moderate depths; Southern Ocean.

F. Alcyoniidae:

Anthomastus: deep water; all major oceans.

18 Final Report

F. Nephtheidae:

Dendronephthya: shallow to moderate depths; temperate and tropical regions of the

Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, Japan, central west Pacific.

Scleronephthya cf. macrospiculata: moderate depth; Chagos and Indonesia. The

genus is mostly known from shallow and moderately deep waters of the Red

Sea, Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific, Japan and Korea.

cf. Duva: the genus is only known only from the north Atlantic.

F. Nidaliidae:

Chironephthya: shallow to deep water; Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, central

west Pacific, Japan.

F. Anthothelidae:

Icilogorgia: shallow to moderate depth; Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific, New

Zealand (one species), West Indies (one species).

Victorogorgia: deep water; north east Atlantic (only one species previously recorded).

F. Coralliidae:

Corallium: moderate to deep water; mostly northern hemisphere regions of the

Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, Pacific.

Final Report 19

F. Keroeididae:

Keroeides gracilis: shallow to deep water; Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific. The

genus is generally known from Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific, West Indies,

Sri Lanka.

F. Acanthogorgiidae:

Acanthogorgia: shallow to deep water; cosmopolitan.

F. Plexauridae:

Astrogorgia: shallow to moderate depths; Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific,

central west Pacific.

Bebryce: shallow to moderate depths; central and northern Atlantic, Mediterranean,

Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific, Japan, Taiwan,

Korea.

Cyclomuricea: moderate depths; Hawaii (only one species previously recorded).

Lepidomuricea: deep water; south of Sri Lanka (only two species previously

recorded).

Muriceides: moderate to deep water; Gulf of Mexico, Northern Atlantic,

Mediterranean.

20 Final Report

Paracis cf. squamata: moderate depths; Indonesia and Japan. The genus is mostly

known from warm temperate and tropical waters of the Indian Ocean,

Indonesia, central west Pacific and Japan.

Swiftia: shallow to deep water; West Indies, north Atlantic, Mediterranean, Bering

Sea, Hawaii and possibly Japan.

Villogorgia: shallow to moderate depths; Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, north Atlantic,

Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, central west Pacific,

Japan, Korea.

F. Ellisellidae:

Nicella: shallow to moderate depths; circumtropical.

Verrucella: shallow to moderate depths; circumtropical.

Viminella: shallow to moderate depths; warm temperate and tropical.

F. Primnoidae:

Callogorgia formosa: moderate depths; Great Nicobar Island and Hawaii.

Callogorgia sertosa: moderate depths; Kai Island (Indonesia).

Callogorgia: moderate depths; temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic,

Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, Pacific.

Final Report 21

Calyptrophora trilepis moderate to abyssal depths: western Atlantic in the region of

Georgia and Florida. The genus is generally known from moderate to deep

waters of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

Daystenella cf. acanthina: deep water; south Atlantic, Southern Ocean.

Fanyella: shallow to moderate depths; Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, Southern Ocean,

Tasman Basin.

Narella: moderate to deep water; all seas except the Mediterranean.

Pseudoplumarella: shallow to moderate depths; coastal New South Wales.

Perissogorgia colossus: deep water; south of New Caledonia. All other species of the

genus are from shallow to moderate depths in the New Caledonia region.

Thouarella: moderate to deep water; mid to south Atlantic, sub-Antarctic, Antarctic,

Indo-Pacific, Japan, Kermadecs, south east Pacific.

F. Chrysogorgiidae:

Chysogorgia: shallow to abyssal depths; cosmopolitan except off Antarctica.

Metallogorgia: moderate to deep water; Ascension Is., Indonesia, Hawaii.

Isodoides armata: deep water; off Kai Island (Indonesia), (sole previous record).

22 Final Report

Radicicpes: moderate to abyssal depths; Arctic, east coast north Atlantic, Azores,

Spanish coast, east equatorial coast of Africa, Indo-Pacific, Okhotska Sea,

Japan, Hawaii.

F. Isididae:

Gorgonisis: moderate depths; off Shark Bay, Western Australia (only one other

species previously recorded).

Keratoisis: moderate to abyssal depths; east part of north Atlantic, Southern Ocean,

Tasman Sea, Pacific, Indo-Pacific, Japan.

Lepidisis: moderate to abyssal depths: West Indies, Southern Ocean, Pacific,

Tasman Sea.

Minuisis: moderate depths; Norfolk Ridge (only two species previously recorded).

Myriozotisis heatherae: moderate depths; off southern Queensland, Australia (only

one other species previously recorded, same region).

Orstomisis crosnieri: moderate depths; New Caledonia (sole previous record).

Primnoisis: moderate depths; Antarctic, Southern Ocean, Tasman Sea.

Final Report 23

O. Pennatulacea:

F. Kophobelemnon.

Kophobelemnon macrospinosum: abyssal depths; north Atlantic. The genus is

generally known from shallow to abyssal depths and is cosmopolitan.

F. Protoptilidae.

Disticoptilum gracile: deep water to abyssal depths; North Atlantic, Pacific. The

genus is generally known from moderate to abyssal depths from the waters of

the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific.

Protoptilum: moderate to abyssal depths; northern Atlantic, Indo-Pacific, Japan,

central and eastern Pacific.

F. Umbellulidae.

Umbellula: moderate to abyssal depths; cosmopolitan.

F. Anthoptilidae.

Anthoptilum murrayi: deep water to abyssal depths; north Atlantic, north Pacific.

Anthoptilum grandiflorum: deep water to abyssal depths; Atlantic, eastern Pacific.

24 Final Report

Anthoptilum: moderate to abyssal depths; Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Indo-Pacific,

northern and eastern Pacific.

F. Halipteridae.

Halipterus cf. finmarchica: moderate to deep water; north Atlantic. The genus is

generally known from shallow to abyssal depths and is cosmopolitan.

F. Pennatulidae.

Pennatula: shallow to abyssal depths; cosmopolitan.

F. Pteroeididae.

Gyrophyllum sibogae: moderate depths; Madagascar, Indonesia, Tasmania

(Australia), (only one other species previously recorded).

Gyrophyllum: deep water to abyssal depths; north Atlantic, Madagascar, Indonesia,

Tasmania.

Pteroeides: shallow to moderate depths; temperate and tropical waters; Atlantic,

Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, Pacific, Tasman

Sea.

Final Report 25

In summary, the collection provides a lot of taxonomically important material. In particular,

those genera such as cf. Duva, Victorogorgia and Muriceides that have only been recorded

from the northern Atlantic and/or the Mediterranean, and those such as Swiftia,

Calyptrophora, Radicipes, Protoptilum and Anthoptlum known predominantly from the

northern Atlantic, the northern Pacific and the corresponding higher latitudes. This data

indicates a significant boreal distribution route for part of the octocoral fauna. In contrast, the

records for another part of the fauna, such as Dasystenella, Thouarella and Lepidisis,

indicate a southern Atlantic, Arctic/Southern Ocean link to the Tasman Sea and the Pacific

Ocean.

Annelida: Polychaeta (bristle worms)

Robin Wilson

Preamble

Most of the polychaete material collected during the NORFANZ cruise was obtained by

washing shell and other substrates over sieves, with polychaetes (and other infauna) being

extracted during subsequent examination with microscopes in the laboratory. This extraction

phase is now complete, as is family level sort of the polychaetes. Species level

identifications will now be made for several key families and the remaining material will be

made available to relevant experts world-wide. (A few polychaete samples appear to be

unaccounted for – these may have been accidentally distributed to other institutions and I will

now attempt to track these missing samples.)

26 Final Report

(Non-polychaetes extracted during laboratory sorting of these samples include infaunal

crustaceans, echinoderms, molluscs and pycnogonids; these will now be distributed to

relevant experts and institutions according to the NORFANZ agreement.)

Results

The relevant table in Appendix 3 contains family level breakdown of the material. A few

general comments can be made.

Twenty families of Polychaeta have been collected, with 81 family level occurrences

recorded across all stations from a depth range of 68-1920 m. There are some biases in the

data: 75% of records come from seamounts on the Norfolk Ridge, 65% from beam trawl

samples, and 40% from 120 m or shallower. These biases are not independent; for

example, of the gear available on Tangaroa, the beam trawl was the most efficient for

sampling invertebrates and also tended to be used at shallower stations.

Based in preliminary examination of this material, it is estimated that between 50 and 100

polychaete species have been collected. It is not possible to estimate how many of those

species may be undescribed. The numbers of undescribed species in shallow and deep

marine environments needs to be established by observation, not extrapolation. The topic is

controversial among marine benthic workers and documenting the diversity of seamount

faunas should contribute to that debate; see eg Gray et al. 1997; Poore 1995; Poore &

Wilson 1993).

Final Report 27

Discussion

The most frequently encountered families were Onuphidae (at 13 stations), Eunicidae (9

stations), Polynoidae (7 stations), Nereididae, Phyllodocidae, Serpulidae and Syllidae (all

from 6 stations). These are typical of the large polychaete families found among by-catch of

trawl samples and other coarse bottom gear. Numerous soft-sediment infaunal families were

absent or rare in the NORFANZ samples (Ampharetidae, Capitellidae, Cirratulidae,

Paraonidae, Spionidae among many others). This probably reflects both the kind of gear

used aboard Tangaroa, and the current-scoured rocky substrate encountered on many

Tasman seamounts.

Polychaete fauna of seamounts off southern Tasmania are known only from about 29

species and many damaged specimens for which identifications are not possible (reported by

Murray and Attwood, in Koslow and Gowlett-Holmes, 1998). Two recent papers reviewing

polychaete faunas of seamounts in the North Atlantic (Gillet & Dauvin 2000, 2003) allow

some comparative comments. Two kinds of gear were mainly used by Gillet and Dauvin: a

beam trawl (similar to that used on Tangaroa) with 5 mm mesh, and a rock dredge with 2 mm

mesh (no close equivalent used on Tangaroa). Probably as a consequence, Gillet and

Dauvin (2000, 2003) reported families such as Capitellidae, Cirratulidae, Flabelligeridae and

Paraonidae which were not collected on the NORFANZ cruise. However, in other respects

there is a strong similarity between the fauna reported from North Atlantic seamounts by

Gillet & Dauvin, and that collected during NORFANZ in the Tasman. In both cases,

Onuphidae, Eunicidae, Nereididae, Syllidae are among the dominant families but more

extensive sampling of more seamounts would be required before speculating that these

families are always typical of seamounts polychaetes.

28 Final Report

Future directions

A few comments are appropriate on the issues that can and cannot be addressed by further

study of NORFANZ polychaetes.

Investigation of relationships between faunas of the Tasman seamount and faunas of other

shallow and deep water environments in Australia and New Zealand should be of prime

importance. These questions are of interest in explaining relationships between marine

faunas of Australia and New Zealand, and are highly relevant to management issues such as

bioregionalisation and conservation. Such studies may involve either empirical analysis of

patterns of diversity, or seeking to discover phylogenetic relationships of faunas and

historical relationships of associated regions. For polychaetes, the former kind of study is

impossible with the available biased data, however the second is possible if robust

hypotheses of relationships (eg cladograms) are available for relevant taxa. Of the dominant

families in the NORFANZ this is most likely to be possible using Nereididae (Bakken &

Wilson, 2005) and Phyllodocidae (Pleijel, 1993). (Phylogenies available for other taxa eg

Onuphidae and Eunicidae investigate relationships between genera. Since polychaete

genera are largely cosmopolitan, they are uninformative in this instance.)

Biases in the data mean that comparisons between seamounts and between Norfolk Ridge

and Lord Howe Rise faunas based on polychaete faunas collected during NORFANZ will not

be possible. To achieve that end, representative samples from all seamounts would need to

be collected. The NORFANZ experience, and the studies reported by Gillet & Dauvin (2000,

2003) and Richer de Forges et al, 2000 suggest that a combination of a rock dredge with 1 or

2 mm mesh and a beam trawl with 5 mm mesh should be used on future cruises. Selective

use of a benthic grab (wherever soft sediments were encountered) would result in especially

Final Report 29

valuable samples. Research questions which address the diversity of the entire seamount

fauna will require such samples, since the bulk of marine diversity is always to be found

among small size classes: infaunal crustaceans, polychaetes and molluscs. Furthermore,

these taxa are often those with most limited dispersal capability and are thus most likely to

show local and regional endemism.

Mollusca (micro-molluscs)

Bruce Marshall

Sediment samples, mostly of biogenic origin, collected by dredge, sledge and beam trawl

and examined post-voyage produced very high numbers of micro-molluscs (1-5 mm in

length) when sorted in the laboratory. For example, the first 12 hours of sorting sediment

from station 141 (West Norfolk Ridge) produced a mollusc species every two minutes on

average. The final tally for this station was 610 species, with at least 400 (65.6%) being new

to science, making it one of the richest mollusc samples known from the Pacific Ocean.

Another notable collection was made at station 115 (Wanganella Bank summit) which

produced 167 species comprising >50% restricted endemics new to science. Other mollusc

samples of note include Site 1 station 7 with 214 species, Site 2 station 132 with 168

species, and Site 5 station 43 with 117 species. In addition to the macro-molluscs identified

during the voyage, a total of over 1200 micro-mollusc species have been identified, with

possibly 600 new to science.

Mollusca: Opisthobranchia (nudibranchs)

Richard Willan (data added to tables in Appendices)

30 Final Report

Mollusca: Cephalopoda (squids and octopods)

Mark Norman (data added to tables in Appendices)

Mollusca: Cephalopoda (squids)

Steve O’Shea

The NORFANZ collection of squids is one of the most important scientific collections of

cephalopods taken from the northern Tasman Sea in the past 50 years. In general, the

external and anatomical condition of all specimens is excellent. Not only has the excellent

condition of specimens in the collection resolved a number of systematics problems, it has

also increased the recognised diversity of species from New Zealand waters to 94, and

considerably increased the recognised bathymetric and geographic distribution of several

taxa.

Preliminary work on these collections reveals them to comprise 16 families, 31 genera and

33 nominal species – a figure that will increase following more detailed study. New records

for New Zealand waters, based on in situ-captured specimens (rather than beaks in stomach

contents), are made for the family Sepiidae (genus Sepia), for the genus Grimalditeuthis and

species G. cf. bondplani and Chiroteuthis cf. capensis (both Chiroteuthidae), Echinoteuthis

sp. (Mastigoteuthidae) and Octopoteuthis megaptera (Octopoteuthidae). Two immature

specimens of a species either belonging to a genus new to science (Mastigoteuthidae) or the

first known non-larval specimens of the enigmatic Magnapinna (Magnapinnidae) are also

represented in these collections. The collections also include a number of presently

unidentified cranchiid squid (Cranchiidae) apparently new to the New Zealand EEZ, and

several fully mature and mated male and female Histioteuthis (Histioteuthidae) species, with

bizarre sexually dimorphic characters being discerned for the first time.

Final Report 31

Echinodermata: Crinoidea, Asteroidea, Echinoidea (crinoids, seastars,

urchins)

No upgrades were made for these taxa.

Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea (brittlestars): A Community and

biogeographic analysis.

Dr. Tim D. O’Hara

Introduction

This report analyses the community structure and biogeography of ophiuroids collected by

the NORFANZ expedition to the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges straddling the southern Coral

and northern Tasman Seas. This area was relatively unknown before the voyage.

Ophiuroids (commonly called brittlestars, snake stars or basket stars) have emerged as a

key group to further our understanding of patterns of seamount biodiversity. There are

several reasons for this. They are one of the dominant components of the deep-sea benthic

fauna on both hard and soft sediment habitats, allowing faunal comparisons to be made

between seamounts, continental margins and oceanic islands, and between seamounts with

a variety of environmental characteristics. They are common associates of key benthic

structural elements such as corals and sponges. They are generally abundant and diverse

enough to permit statistical analysis but not too diverse to become impossible to identify over

typical project timelines. They have a reasonably well understood taxonomy. Finally they

have a variety of dispersal strategies including planktotrophy, lecithotrophy, viviparity and

asexual fissiparous reproduction, important to further our understanding of how isolated

32 Final Report

seamount communities assemble and how sites may recover from anthropogenic activity

such as bottom trawling and mining.

Methods

Two datasets were used for this analysis. The first consisted of presence/absence data of

ophiuroids identified to species for each sample collected by the NORFANZ (TAN0308)

expedition.

The second dataset includes the a) NORFANZ ophiuroids, b) other ophiuroids that have

been collected from the region, and c) ophiuroids that have been recorded from surrounding

regions including the eastern Australian, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and the subantarctic

islands south of New Zealand. This material has been collected from museums throughout

Australia, the Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN), New Zealand’s National

Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and historical published material. This

expanded dataset includes ophiuroids from 0-3000 m, collected by a variety of gear including

trawls, dredges, grabs, and in shallow water by hand. Previous expeditions to collect benthic

samples from the NORFANZ region included several expeditions to the various oceanic

islands and atolls, CSIRO FR0589 voyage, cruise 16 of the Russian fisheries research

vessel Dimitry Mendeleev, and several New Zealand Oceanographic Institute expeditions.

This second dataset was analysed to understand the wider biogeographic affinities of the

fauna from the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges.

The analyses used for this study reflects the multivariate methodology of Clarke & Warwick

(1994) as implemented in the PRIMER software program. Similarity matrices were

constructed using the Bray-Curtis coefficient. Ordinations were generated using

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). The resulting stress was low (0.07-0.l4). The similarity

Final Report 33

matrices were compared to normalised environmental data using the BIOENV procedure

with non-parametric Spearman correlation coefficients. Species accumulation curves were

also produced by PRIMER and are based on species sample data from the NORFANZ

samples. The shape of this curve should be treated with caution as it contains samples

collected with a variety of gear and over a variable amount of seafloor.

Results

Ophiuroid fauna

Ophiuroids were sampled from 67 NORFANZ (TAN0308) stations, including 26 epibenthic

sled, 18 Beam Trawl and 23 Orange-Roughy and Ratcatcher trawl samples. In all 117

species were recorded from 295 species-station lots (complete list given in Appendix 14b).

There was considerable taxonomic and ecological coverage. Sixteen of the 18 known

ophiuroid families were represented. Material was obtained from soft, hard and epifaunal

substrata.

The material added considerably to the known fauna of the southern Lord Howe and Norfolk

ridge and seamount faunas. There are 24 undescribed species, and potentially another 13

which have only been identified to the genus level. In total this is 32% of the species

recorded. The species-sample accumulation curve (Figure 3.1.3) does not asymptote

suggesting that additional species will be found from the region with further sampling.

34 Final Report

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1 11 21 31 41 51 61

Samples

Cum

ulat

ive

num

ber

of s

peci

es

Figure 3.1.3. Species accumulation curve for the NORFANZ ophiuroid samples.

Some interesting ophiuroids were collected. Several samples contained vast numbers of the

species Ophiacantha fidelis, filling the entire beam trawl at stations 126 and 136. Underwater

photographs from these sites showed numerous individuals positioned closely together on

the seafloor but not touching. This species has been previously recorded only from SE

Australia where it can also occur in dense numbers (Blaber et al. 1987, O’Hara 1990).

Numerous species were found living on octocorals, antipatharians and sponges, several of

these appeared to have specific host preferences. The colour images taken of many

specimens were invaluable in confirming species-level differences between taxa with similar

morphology.

Final Report 35

Analysis of NORFANZ samples

A MDS plot of the presence/absence of ophiuroids from NORFANZ samples is shown in

Figure 3.1.4 with each point overlayed with various environmental and sample related

factors. These plots exclude the wide-meshed Orange-Roughy and Ratcatcher samples as

they sample a very different fauna than the epibenthic sleds and Beam Trawls. Three

samples (stns 12, 18, 20) from the N3 seamount had to be excluded because they formed

extreme outliers forcing all other ordination points into a tight ball. These samples had only 1-

2 species that were not found at other sites.

Overall the remaining pattern on the ordination reflects depth (Figure 3.1.4 D). The three

outlying samples on the right of the ordination are the shallow water samples from around

Lord Howe Island (stns 60, 67 and 61) which contained a distinctive continental shelf fauna.

The other samples form a loose gradient from the top to bottom of the ordination. The 200-

500m samples are at the top left of the ordination, and samples from 500-1000m and

>1000m are mixed towards the lower left. There appears to be little geographic pattern, with

samples from different areas and ridges mixed together (Figure 3.1.4 B-D). The Norfolk

samples are less dispersed than the Lord Howe samples (Figure 3.1.4 B) due to the lack of

shallow-water samples on the Norfolk Ridge. The method of collection does not reflect the

pattern (Figure 3.1.4 E), although the samples on the fringes of the ordination are those that

sampled relatively few species (Figure 3.1.4 F). The pattern does not substantially change if

the analysis was restricted to only epibenthic sleds or beam trawls (not shown).

36 Final Report

A

100

102

106

107

111

126

132136

141

144

145

149

1515

0

154

158

2429

3640 41

4349

5

50

5152

55

56

60

6166

67

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7882

85

86

991

94

Stre

ss: 0

.07

B

Nor

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Lord

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Stre

ss: 0

.07

CS

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lk

N L

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How

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ow

Stre

ss: 0

.07

D20

0-50

0m

>100

0m

0-20

0m

500-

1000

m

Stre

ss: 0

.07

Figu

re 3

.1.4

. MD

S of

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id s

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Final Report 37

E

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.07

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38

4

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re 3

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(con

t.). M

DS

of o

phiu

roid

spe

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from

NO

RFA

NZ

epib

enth

ic s

led

and

beam

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l sam

ples

, sup

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d by

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colle

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ar a

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) num

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cies

obt

aine

d fr

om e

ach

sam

ple

38 Final Report

The influence of depth is emphasised in the BIOENV analysis which ranks minimum sample

depth as primary environmental correlate (Table 3.1.1). Longitude, latitude and species

richness were comparatively poor correlates of the overall pattern.

Table 3.1.1. BIOENV analysis of NORFANZ samples using environmental and sampling factors.

Factor BIOENV value

Min sample depth 0.408

Max sample depth 0.365

Longitude 0.135

Latitude 0.112

Number of species collected 0.015

Analysis of NORFANZ sites

This analysis aggregated all NORFANZ samples into ‘sites’ defined by the voyage

(Figure 3.1.5 A). The resulting MDS again does not show a strong geographic pattern,

although the Lord Howe sites show less dispersion being restricted to the bottom of the

ordination (Figure 3.1.5 B). The deeper sites are clustered to the right (Figure 3.1.5 C).

Final Report 39

A

1011

12 13

14

152

3

45

6

7

8

9

Stre

ss: 0

.14

BLo

rd H

owe

S

Nor

folk

S

Nor

folk

N

Lord

How

e N

Stre

ss: 0

.14

C20

0-50

0m

500-

1000

m

0-20

0m

>100

0m

Stre

ss: 0

.14

Figu

re 3

.1.5

MD

S of

oph

iuro

id s

peci

es fr

om N

OR

FAN

Z si

tes,

sup

erim

pose

d by

A) s

tatio

n no

, B) R

egio

n (n

orth

and

sou

th o

f 30°

S)

and

C) m

inim

um s

ampl

e de

pth

per s

ite.

Final Report 40

Biogeographic analysis

This analysis aggregates all known ophiuroid records into 11 regions defined in Table 3.1.2.

The NORFANZ records are included in the Norfolk and Lord Howe regions along with other

samples from previous expeditions to the same locations. An MDS plot of the

presence/absence of ophiuroid species in each region is given in Figure 3.1.6.

Table 3.1.2. Regions defined for biogeographic analysis.

Region Latitude/Longitude

NE Australia 16-26°S, 144-154°E

Chesterfield 16-26°S, 157-162°E

New Caledonia 16-26°S, 162-171°E

E Australia 26-36°S, 144-154°E

Tasmantid 26-37°S, 154.5-157°E

Lord Howe 26-36°S, 157-165.5°E

Norfolk 26-36°S, 165.5-171°E

SE Australia 36-45°S, 144-154°E

N NZ 26-36°S, 171-180°E

S NZ 36-45°S, 160-180°E

Subantarctic 45-55°S, 153-180°E

The MDS plot reflects the geographic placement of the regions (Figure 3.1.6 A). The Norfolk

and Lord Howe regions cluster together, with the Norfolk region showing some similarity to

New Zealand and Lord Howe to eastern and north-eastern Australia. Interestingly, Lord

Howe clusters more closely with New Caledonia than the neighbouring Chesterfield Bank

region to its north. The Tasmantid chain of seamounts form an outlier on the left of the

Final Report 41

ordination, probably reflecting the smaller area, the lack of shallow water (<100m) habitat,

and the paucity of sampling.

If the analysis is restricted to deep-water (>150m) samples only (excluding islands and

continental shelves), the Norfolk and Lord Howe fauna are more similar to the New Zealand

and New Caledonian deep-sea faunas than those along the Australian margin

(Figure 3.1.6 B).

If the Norfolk and Lord Howe regions are split into northern and southern subregions (either

side of 30°S), the ordination of samples from all depths again reflects geographic position

(Figure 3.1.6 C). The southern Norfolk fauna is closer to New Zealand and the northern

fauna to New Caledonia and the Chesterfield Bank region. The southern Lord Howe fauna

groups with the northern fauna, sitting midway between New Caledonia, eastern and north-

eastern Australia and New Zealand. For deep-sea (>150m) records, the northern Lord Howe

region shows affinity with the Chesterfield Bank and north-eastern Australia (Figure 3.1.6 D).

42 Final Report

AC

hest

erfie

ld

E A

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lia

Lord

How

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N N

Z

NE

Aus

tralia

New

Cal

edon

ia

Nor

folk

S N

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SE

Aus

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Sub

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Tasm

antid

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ss: 0

.09

BC

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ss: 0

.09

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folk

N

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S

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ss: 0

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D

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field

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Lord

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Lord

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N N

Z

NE

Aus

tralia

New

Cal

edon

ia

Nor

folk

NN

orfo

lk S S N

Z

SE

Aus

traliaSub

anta

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Tasm

antid

Stre

ss: 0

.12

Figu

re 3

.1.6

. MD

S of

pre

senc

e/ab

senc

e op

hiur

oid

reco

rded

from

the

Lord

How

e an

d N

orfo

lk R

idge

s an

d su

rrou

ndin

g re

gion

s: A

) all

reco

rds,

B) r

ecor

ds fr

om <

150

m d

epth

, C) a

ll re

cord

s w

ith L

ord

How

e an

d N

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ampl

es s

plit

into

nor

th (>

=30°

S) a

nd s

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breg

ions

, and

D) r

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om <

150

m s

plit

into

nor

th a

nd s

outh

sub

regi

ons.

Reg

ions

are

def

ined

in T

able

2.

Final Report 43

Endemism

The NORFANZ expedition collected numerous undescribed species. Some of

these have not been previously discovered from elsewhere and may represent

Lord Howe or Norfolk Ridge endemics. All species only recorded from these

two regions are listed in Table 3.1.3. The majority of these potential endemics

are undescribed. Only three are described, all occurring in shallow water

around Lord Howe Island. Excluding these species, 70% of the list has been

collected from only one sample. At this stage, it is impossible to determine

whether these species are true endemics or widespread rare species that

inadequately sampled.

Table 3.1.3. ‘Endemic’ ophiuroids from the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges, including oceanic islands

Genus Species Region Nosamples

Ophiochiton sp Norfolk 1 Ophiura sp Norfolk 2 Amphiophiura sp Norfolk 1 Amphioplus sp Norfolk 1 Amphiura sp Norfolk 1 Asteronyx sp Norfolk 1 Ophiocamax sp Norfolk 2 Amphiophiura sp Norfolk 3 Aspidophiura sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiacantha sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiarachna discrepans Lord Howe 1 Ophiolimna sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiomitrella sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiopyrgus sp Lord Howe 2 Ophioteichus parvispinum Lord Howe 1 Ophiothrix albolineata Lord Howe 1 Ophiotrema sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiotreta sp Lord Howe 2 Ophiura sp Lord Howe 1 Ophiolepidinae sp Lord Howe 1

44 Final Report

Discussion

The NORFANZ collection is an important addition to our knowledge of the

ophiuroid fauna of the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges. This includes a large

number of potentially new species. It is unclear whether these will prove to be

endemic to the region or whether they represent rare widespread species that

are only occasionally sampled.

Community analyses of the NORFANZ samples reflect depth and the species

richness of the tow but show little geographic pattern. This is in part due to the

small number of samples collected from an extensive geographic area. The

species richness of the region is very high. Each sample only collects a small

portion of the fauna making comparisons between individual samples difficult.

Even when samples are combined into “sites” they show little geographic

pattern.

However, a biogeographic analysis combining all known samples into larger

regions does clearly reflect geographic pattern. The Lord Howe and Norfolk

ridges cluster together and share species with neighbouring regions around

Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, with the easterly Norfolk region

being closer to New Zealand and the westerly Lord Howe fauna with Australia.

Latitude is also a factor, with northern samples showing an affinity with New

Caledonia and the Chesterfield Bank and the southern samples with eastern

Australia and New Zealand.

Final Report 45

There are several explanations for the discrepancy between the community

and biogeographical analyses. The first is that the sites are under-sampled and

current knowledge is only a subset of the actual fauna. The second is that each

site is influenced by a unique combination of environmental and historical

factors that result in them having a different subset of the regional species pool.

The two explanations are not mutually exclusive.

This analysis reflects other studies on seamount ophiuroids, suggesting that

many species are widespread but vary in population density across their range

depending on current and past environmental conditions and events (O’Hara in

press). This will result in differing community structures between seamounts,

and between different habitats on the same seamounts. This conclusion

supports the “oasis” model of seamounts that considers these habitats to be

centres of high productivity and species richness rather than significant centres

of endemism. This model has been supported by recent molecular studies in

the Northern Tasman Sea that show little genetic structure between seamounts

for species with planktonic dispersal (Samadi et al., in press).

References

Blaber, S.J.M., May, J.L., Young, J.W. & Bulman, C.M. (1987). Population

density and predators of Ophiacantha fidelis (Koehler, 1930)

(Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) on the continental slope of Tasmania.

Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 38: 243-247.

Clarke, K.R. & Warwick, R.M. (1994). Change in marine communities: An

approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. Natural Environment

Research Council and Plymouth Marine Laboratory: UK.

46 Final Report

O'Hara, T.D. (1990). New records of Ophiuridae, Ophiacanthidae and

Ophiocomidae (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from south-eastern Australia.

Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 50(2): 287-305.

O’Hara, T.D. (in press). Seamount ophiuroids: diversity, extent, reliability and

patterns of distribution and endemism. In Deep Seabed Cobalt-Crusts and

Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Seamount Fauna: Proceedings of a

workshop held in Kingston Jamaica March 2006. International Seabed

Authority.

Samedi, S., Bottan, L., Macpherson, E., Richer de Forges, B., Boisselier, M.-C.

(in press). Seamount endemism questioned by the geographic distribution

and population genetic structure of marine invertebrates. Marine Biology 227.

Echinodermata: Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers)

Mark O’Loughlin and Laura Holmes

Overview of material processed to date: total number of lots with one or more

specimens: 86 (51 provisional determinations to date). Total number of

species to date: 27. Probable new species to date: 11.

ASPIDOCHIROTIDA

Synallactidae

Bathyplotes natans (Sars, 1868) (2 lots)

Bathyplotes punctatus (Sluiter, 1901) (1 lot)

Bathyplotes sulcatus Sluiter, 1901 (1 lot)

Final Report 47

Bathyplotes spp. (6 lots; 6 provisional species; probable 3 new species)

Mesothuria carnosa Fisher, 1907 (4 lots)

Mesothuria lactea Théel, 1886 (1 lot)

Mesothuria marginata Sluiter, 1901 (2 lots)

Mesothuria regularia Heding, 1940 (5 lots)

Mesothuria sp. 1 (1 lot; probable new species)

Mesothuria sp. 2 (1 lot; probable new species)

Pseudostichopus mollis Théel, 1886 (3 lots)

DACTYLOCHIROTIDA

Ypsilothuriidae

Echinocucumis hispida (Barrett, 1857) (1 lot)

DENDROCHIROTIDA

Phyllophoridae

Thyone sp. (3 lots; probable new species)

ELASIPODIDA

Deimatidae

48 Final Report

Deima validum Théel, 1897 (1 lot)

Orphnurgus glaber Walsh, 1891 (3 lots)

Orphnurgus sp. (2 lots; probable new species)

Laetmogonidae

Pannychia moseleyi Théel, 1882 (8 lots)

Pannychia sp. (1 lot; probable new species)

Pelagothuriidae

Enypniastes sp. (2 lots; probable new species)

ASPIDOCHIROTIDA

Holothuriidae

Holothuria (Thymiosycia) sp. (1 lot; probable new species)

MOLPADIIDA

Molpadiidae

Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826 (1 lot)

Molpadia sp. (1 lot; probable new species)

Final Report 49

Crustacea: Cirripedia (barnacles)

John Buckeridge

Twenty-one collections, designated as having sessile barnacle remains, were

studied. Among these there were 17 species of cirripedes and three (17.6%)

potentially new taxa. The other material contributes significantly to our

knowledge of the distribution of some important (and unusual) taxa, e.g.

Chionelasmus darwini (collected at two sites on the Reinga Ridge), which has

until recently, been only known from one locality in the “New Zealand” region.

The diversity is relatively high, as may be the endemism. The diversity has

been enhanced a little by taxa that have been sourced from nekton or plankton

(e.g. Coronula diadema and Lepas anatifera). One collection (TAN 0308/126)

was found to contain gorganians infested with polychaetes (not cirripedes).

Further, more detailed, microscopy will be required to identify some taxa more

accurately.

Crustacea: Amphipoda (amphipods)

Penny Berents, Jim Lowry and Helen Stoddart

The oceanic amphipod fauna of the Tasman Sea is poorly known. Twenty-six

taxa have been determined from the NORFANZ amphipod collections and all

have been identified to family, genus or species at the time of writing this

report. Work on these collections is ongoing and at least 8 undescribed species

and 2 new genera have been determined. Of the 26 taxa only four can be

attributed to described species at this stage. Nineteen species are benthic

amphipods and these are dominated by lysianassoid amphipods (9 species)

50 Final Report

which are currently being revised at the family and generic level by Lowry &

Stoddart (1990; 1995; 1996; 1997; 2002). Hyperidean amphipods, which are

pelagic amphipods usually collected in plankton samples, are represented by

six species. Most hyperidean species have a world-wide distribution (Zeidler,

1992) and Zeidler (1996) recorded 119 species in Australian waters.

Crustacea: Euphausiacea (krill)

Penny Berents (data added to tables in Appendices)

Crustacea: Stomatopoda (mantis shrimps)

Shane T. Ahyong (data added to tables in Appendices)

The mantis shrimps (Order Stomatopoda) are among the most aggressive and

behaviourally complex Crustaceans. They are active predators and are

characterised by their large and powerful raptorial claws with which they strike

prey. Prey is captured by 'spearing' or 'smashing', depending on whether the

dactyl is extended or folded during a raptorial strike. Stomatopod diversity is

richest in shallow, tropical, marine environments on both hard and soft

substrata. Many species, however, also live in deeper, inner and outer shelf

habitats down to about 1500 m.

The high level classification of the Stomatopoda was most recently reviewed by

Manning (1995), Ahyong & Harling (2000), and Ahyong (2001) Approximately

500 species of stomatopod are known, and the 142 species from Australia

were recently comprehensively reviewed by Ahyong (2001). The New Zealand

stomatopod fauna has received little attention. The most important studies

Final Report 51

treating the New Zealand fauna are those of Miers (1876), Chilton (1891, 1911)

and Manning (1966). Seven described species are known from New Zealand

(Ahyong, submitted), but a revision of the New Zealand Stomatopoda presently

in progress will expand the fauna to at least 20 species.

The two species of Stomatopoda collected by the NORFANZ Expedition are

both known from the general region. Odontodactylus hawaiiensis is newly

recorded from New Zealand waters, but has previously been recorded from

New Caledonia to Hawaii and Easter Island (Moosa, 1991, Ahyong, 2002).

Hemisquilla australiensis Stephenson is presently known from eastern Australia

and New Zealand (Ahyong, 2001). Hemisquilla australiensis was treated as a

subspecies of H. ensigera (Owen) (see Stephenson, 1967, Manning, 1995).

Ahyong (2001), however, showed that H. ensigera australiensis is readily

distinguished from other disjunct populations of H. ensigera in both

morphology and colour-in-life. Therefore, each subspecies of H. ensigera was

treated as a distinct species. Hemisquilla australiensis is endemic to eastern

Australia and New Zealand.

Little is known of the biology of Odontodactylus hawaiiensis and Hemisquilla

australiensis. Owing to the relatively wide ranges of both species, neither

appears to require direct conservation measures to be enforced.

Crustacea: Galatheidae, Polychelidae and Glyphocrangonidae

(squatlobsters, blind, deep-sea lobsters and deepwater

shrimps)

Shane T. Ahyong

52 Final Report

Abstract

The taxonomic composition of the decapod families Galatheidae, Polychelidae

and Glyphocrangonidae collected by the NORFANZ Expedition is reported.

Some 119 lots were studied and identified to species. Galatheidae is

represented by 26 species in 9 genera; 7 species are new records for the study

area and 10 are undescribed. Polychelidae is represented by five species in

two genera; all were previously known from the study area. Glyphocrangonidae

is represented by five species, of which two are new records for the study area

and one is new to science. Bench top images of the galatheids, polychelids and

glyphocrangonids made during the NORFANZ Expedition are identified to

species. Bench top and video stills of Galatheidae taken off southeastern

Australia during the cruise SS0404 are identified to species and briefly

discussed. In general, galatheids and polychelids can be identified to generic

level, and sometimes to species, based on high resolution bench top images.

The ‘photographic taxonomy’ of the NORFANZ bench top images generally

reflected species, though intraspecific and ontogenetic variation in colour

patterns led to an overestimate of taxonomic diversity whereby several species

were each assigned to multiple OTU’s. In fewer cases, multiple species were

assigned to the same OTU.

Introduction

The 2003 NORFANZ Expedition in the Tasman Sea resulted in significant

collections of deepwater decapod crustaceans spanning most recognised

infraorders. Specimens were separated into OTU’s aboard ship and in most

cases photographed. This ‘photographic taxonomy’, if corresponding to species

entities as determined by formal taxonomic methods, could prove to be a useful

Final Report 53

and rapid means of making preliminary taxonomic assessments. The present

report examines the taxonomic composition of the decapod families

Galatheidae (squat lobsters), Polychelidae (deep water blind lobsters) and

Glyphocrangonidae collected by the NORFANZ Expedition, and relates to

shipboard bench top images and operational taxonomic units (OTU’s)

determined at sea. Similarly, the prospect of identifying galatheids from bench

top and in situ video images is examined for seabed images taken during the

CSIRO cruise SS0404 off southeastern Australia in 2004.

Methods

Some 119 lots representing the Galatheidae, Polychelidae and

Glyphocrangonidae collected by the NORFANZ cruise studied and identified to

species. Specimens are deposited in the collections of the Australian Museum,

Sydney, and National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa,

Wellington. CSIRO bench top images of specimens taken at sea during were

identified. Each family and its respective species is treated separately and

briefly discussed. Several undescribed species, mostly of Munida

(Galatheidae), are represented in the present collection. They are referred to by

number (e.g., Munida sp. nov. 1, Munida sp. nov. 2, etc) and will be formally

described in a study presently in preparation. The taxonomic arrangement and

regional distributons of NORFANZ decapods treated herein are given in Table

3.1.4, and stations at which each species were collected are given in

Table 3.1.9.

54 Final Report

Tabl

e. 3

.1.4

. Tax

onom

ic a

rran

gem

ent a

nd re

gion

al d

istr

ibut

ion

of G

alat

heid

ae, P

olyc

helid

ae a

nd G

lyph

ocra

ngon

idae

col

lect

ed b

y th

e N

OR

FAN

Z Ex

pedi

tion.

New

reco

rds

and

new

spe

cies

mar

ked

in b

old;

* en

dem

ic s

tatu

s is

pro

visi

onal

pen

ding

furt

her s

tudy

.

Infra

orde

r Fa

mily

S

peci

esN

o. S

tns

Kno

wn

from

New

Ze

alan

d

Know

n fro

mA

ustra

lia

Know

n fro

m N

ew

Cal

edon

ia

Tasm

an

Sea

ende

mic

*

Wid

e-sp

read

Indo

-P

acifi

cAn

omur

a G

alat

heid

ae

Ago

noni

da e

min

ens

(Bab

a, 1

988)

1

X X

X

X A

gono

nida

mar

ini (

Mac

pher

son,

199

4)

1 X

X X

Ago

noni

da n

ielb

ruce

i Ver

eshc

haka

, 200

5 10

X

X

Ago

noni

da p

roce

ra A

hyon

g &

Poo

re, 2

004

3 X

X X

Allo

gala

thea

ele

gans

(Whi

te)

1 X

X X

X

Gal

athe

a ta

nega

shim

ae

1 X

X

Leio

gala

thea

laev

irost

ris (B

alss

, 191

3)

1 X

X

X

Mun

ida

curv

irost

ris H

ende

rson

, 188

5 6

X X

X M

unid

a en

deav

oura

e Ah

yong

& P

oore

, 200

4 2

X X

X

M

unid

a sp

. nov

. 1

1 X

X

Mun

ida

sp. n

ov. 2

1

X

X

M

unid

a sp

. nov

. 3

4 X

X

Mun

ida

sp. n

ov. 4

1

X

X

M

unid

a sp

. nov

. 5

1 X

X

Mun

ida

sp. n

ov. 6

1

X

X

M

unid

a sp

. nov

. 7

1 X

X

Mun

ida

sp. n

ov. 8

1 X

X

Mun

idop

sis

rost

rata

(A. M

ilne-

Edw

ards

, 188

0)

1 X

X

X

Mun

idop

sis

treis

Ahy

ong

& Po

ore,

200

4 1

X X

X

M

unid

opsi

s va

ldiv

iae

(Dof

lein

& B

alss

, 191

3)

3 X

X

X

Mun

idop

sis

sp. n

ov. 1

1

X

X

M

unid

opsi

s sp

. nov

. 2

2 X

X

“Neo

nida

” sp.

nov

. 1

X

X

P

aram

unid

a la

bis

Mac

pher

son,

199

6 2

X

X P

hylla

dior

hync

hus

inte

griro

stris

(Dan

a, 1

853)

1

X X

X

X P

hylla

dior

hync

hus

pusi

llus

(Hen

ders

on, 1

885)

1

X X

X

X Po

lych

elid

a Po

lych

elid

ae

Pen

tach

eles

laev

is B

ate,

187

8 19

X

X X

X

Pen

tach

eles

val

idus

A. M

ilne

Edw

ards

, 188

0 5

X X

X

X

Final Report 55

In

fraor

der

Fam

ily

Spe

cies

No.

Stn

s K

now

n fro

m N

ew

Zeal

and

Know

n fro

mA

ustra

lia

Know

n fro

m N

ew

Cal

edon

ia

Tasm

an

Sea

ende

mic

*

Wid

e-sp

read

Indo

-P

acifi

cP

olyc

hele

s en

thrix

(Bat

e, 1

878)

14

X

X X

X

Pol

yche

les

scul

ptus

Sm

ith, 1

880

3 X

X X

X

Pol

yche

les

suhm

i (Ba

te, 1

878)

3

X X

X

X C

arid

ea

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae

Gly

phoc

rang

on d

imor

pha

Kom

ai. 2

004

1

Gly

phoc

rang

on n

ovac

aste

llum

Ken

sley

, Grif

fin &

Tr

ante

r, 19

87

2 X

X

X

Gly

phoc

rang

on ta

sman

ica

Kom

ai, 2

004

6 X

X

X

Gly

phoc

rang

on c

f for

mos

ana

Kom

ai, 2

004

5 X

Gly

phoc

rang

on s

p. n

ov.

2 X

X

Final Report 56

Identification of NORFANZ Decapoda

GALATHEIDAE

The galatheids, commonly known as squat lobsters, are a diverse and

abundant component of the deepwater benthos with almost 600 described

Indo-West Pacific species (Baba, 2005). Ahyong & Poore (2004) reported 29

species of deepwater Galatheidae from southern Australian waters, of which

six species are represented in the NORFANZ collection. Twenty-six species of

Galatheidae are represented in the NORFANZ collection, distributed in nine

genera as follows: Munida (10 species), Munidopsis (5 species), Agononida (4

species), Phylladiorhynchus (2 species), Allogalathea (1 species), Galathea (1

species), Leiogalathea (1 species), Paramunida (1 species), ‘Neonida’ (1

species). Eleven species are new to science. Eight of ten species of Munida

and two of five species of Munidopsis are undescribed, with an additional

undescribed species tentatively referred to Neonida. CSIRO bench top images

of galatheids are identified to species in Table 3.1.5.

Most species are known from only a few specimens collected at single stations.

As can be gleaned from Table 3.1.4, galatheids other than species of Munida

are wide ranging in the Indo-West Pacific. Nine of ten species of Munida,

however, are not presently known outside of the Tasman Sea and could prove

endemic.

Allogalathea elegans (Adams & White, 1848) (Figure 3.1.7 G, H)

Allogalathea elegans, an obligate crinoid associate, was collected at two

stations. The colour pattern of A. elegans is variable, ranging from

longitudinally banded to almost uniformly dark red or black as in the present

Final Report 57

series. Allogalathea elegans was collected together with Galathea

tanegashimae and Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris.

Agononida eminens (Baba, 1988) (Figure 3.1.7 A)

This species, represented by 15 specimens, was collected only at a single

station, though it is already known from eastern Australia including the Tasman

Sea (Ahyong & Poore, 2004). Agononida eminens can be distinguished from

other Tasman Sea congeners by the following combination of characters: the

carapace bears cardiac and median mesogastric spines and the basal antennal

article is produced to a long slender spine. Agononida eminens was collected

together with Munida curvirostris, Munida sp. nov. 1, and Munida cf masosae.

Agononida marini (Macpherson, 1994) (Figure 3.1.7 B)

Agononida marini was first described from New Caledonia and subsequently

reported from southeastern Australia (Ahyong & Poore, 2004). Agononida

marini closely resembles A. eminens, but is readily distinguished by lacking

median mesogastric carapace spines. The species was collected at one station

together with A. nielbrucei, Munida sp. nov. 1. and Phylladiorhynchus pusillus.

Agononida nielbrucei Vereshchaka, 2004 (Figure 3.1.7 D–F)

This recently described species was the most abundant species of the

Galatheidae, collected at 10 stations and represented by 328 specimens.

Agononida nielbrucei can be distinguished from other congeners in the Tasman

Sea by the following combination of characters: the basal antennal article is

produced to a short, triangular tooth, the gastric region is armed only with one

pair of epigastric spines, a posterior row of cardiac spines is present on the

carapace, and the extensor margin on the merus of the third maxilliped is

Final Report 58

armed. Agononida nielbrucei was assigned to multiple morphospecies

according to the ‘photographic taxonomy’ (Table 3.1.5), and this presumably

owes to the ontogenetic colour changes that the species undergoes. Adult A.

nielbrucei are generally mottled reddish and cream, whereas juveniles are

generally more uniformly red in colour. Agononida nielbrucei was collected together

with A. marini, Munida sp. nov. 1, 2 & 3, Munidopsis treis, Munidopsis sp. nov. 2,

“Neonida” sp. nov. and Phylladiorhynchus pusillus

Agononida procera Ahyong & Poore, 2004 (Figure 3.1.7 C)

Agononida procera was collected at three stations and in each case assigned

to a different OTU. The presence of a pair of protogastric spines behind the

epigastric spines on the carapace will readily distinguish A. procera from

regional congeners. Agononida procera was collected together with Munidopsis

sp. nov. 1 and Munida sp. nov. 6

Galathea tanegashimae Baba, 1969

This species, the only species of Galathea represented here, was collected

from one site. The specimen constitutes the first record for the southern

hemisphere, having been previously reported only from Japan and the

Andaman Sea. Galathea tanegashimae was collected together with

Allogalathea elegans and Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris.

Leiogalathea laevirostris (Balss, 1913)

Leiogalathea elegans, the only member of the genus, was collected at a single

station together with Munida sp. nov. 4 & 5. This species is reported for the

first time from the Tasman Sea.

Final Report 59

Munida curvirostris Henderson, 1885 (Figure 3.1.8 A–C)

Munida curvirostris is recorded for the first time from the Tasman Sea. The

species was collected at two stations, but initially sorted to four different OTU’s,

presumably on the basis of slightly different colour patterns. The combination

of the ‘short’ chelipeds, a row of spines along the anterior margin of the second

abdominal somite, and subequal distal spines on the basal antennular article.

Munida curvirostris was collected together with Munida sp. nov. 4 and Munida

cf masosae.

Munida endeavourae Ahyong & Poore, 2004 (Figure 3.1.8 D)

Munida endeavourae was collected at two stations. Ahyong & Poore (2004)

recently described this species from eastern Australia; the present records are

the first for the study area.

Munida sp. nov. 1 (Figure 3.1.8 G)

This undescribed species resembles M. amblytes Macpherson from New

Caledonia. Munida sp. nov. 1 was collected with Agononida marini, A.

nielbrucei, Munidopsis sp. nov. 2 and Phylladiorhynchus pusillus.

Munida sp. nov. 2

The single specimen of Munida sp. nov. 2 is similar to M. armilla Macpherson

from New Caledonia. The species was collected together with Agononida

nielbrucei, Munidopsis treis and “Neonida” sp. nov.

Munida sp. nov. 3 (Figure 3.1.8 F)

This single specimen of this undescribed species, resembling Munida sp. nov.

2, was collected together with Agononida nielbrucei.

Final Report 60

Munida sp. nov. 4 (Figure 3.1.8 E)

This undescribed species, resembling Munida chathamensis Baba was

collected at one station together with Leiogalathea laevirostris, Munida

curvirostris and Munida sp. nov. 5.

Munida sp. nov. 5 (Figure 3.1.8 I)

This undescribed species, resembling Munida congesta Macpherson, was

collected at only a single station together with Leiogalathea laevirostris, Munida

curvirostris and Munida sp. nov. 4.

Munida sp. nov. 6 (Figure 3.1.8 J)

This undescribed species resembles Munida eclepsis Macpherson. It was

collected at only a single station together with Munidopsis sp. nov. 1 and

Agononida procera.

Munida sp. nov. 7 (Figure 3.1.8 E)

This undescribed species resembles Munida japonica Stimpson and M.

stigmatica Macpherson, both from the western Pacific. The species was

collected at only a single station with Paramunida labis.

Munida sp. nov. 8 (Figure 3.1.9 A)

Munida sp. nov. 8, closely resembles M. masoae Macpherson from Bayonnaise

Bank, differing in features of the antenna, carapace spination and abdominal

ornamentation. Of the species in the present collection, Munida sp. nov. 8 is

similar to M. curvirostris in the short cheliped, though it is readily distinguished

by the distinct spine along the lateral margin of the pollex. The single specimen

Final Report 61

of this species was collected together with M. curvirostris and Agononida

eminens.

Munidopsis rostrata (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) (Figure 3.1.9 B, C)

The species was collected at one station and is readily recognised by the

presence of a strong gastric and cardiac spine in combination with two

prominent spines on the anterolateral angle of the carapace. One specimen is

atypical in lacking the rostrum entirely, such that the anterior margin of the

carapace is evenly rounded; in all other respects, the specimen agrees with the

‘typical’ specimens. Munidopsis rostrata was reported from the area by Baba &

Poore (2002) and Ahyong & Poore (2004).

Munidopsis treis Ahyong & Poore, 2004 (Figure 3.1.9 G)

Munidopsis treis was previously known only from the Great Australian Bight

and off Tasmania. Hence, the present specimens constitute the first records of

the species for the study area. All specimens are juveniles, and though smaller

than those previously reported agree well with the type description (Ahyong &

Poore, 2004). The species was collected at a single station with Munida sp.

nov. 2, “Neonida” sp. nov., and Agononida nielbrucei.

Munidopsis valdiviae (Doflein & Balss, 1913) (Figure 3.1.9 D, E)

The species was collected at three stations. Munidopsis valdiviae closely

resembles Munidopsis rostrata but is readily distinguished by bearing one

instead of two prominent spines on the anterolateral angle of the carapace;

their colour patterns also differ markedly (cf. Figs. 3D, E and G).

Final Report 62

Munidopsis sp. nov. 1 (Figure 3.1.9 H)

This undescribed species superficially resembles Munidopsis serricornis

(Lovén) in the broad trifid rostrum and carapace shape, but differs in lacking

promiment marginal carapace spines. The species was collected at one station

with Agononida procera and Munida sp. nov. 6.

Munidopsis sp. nov. 2 (Figure 3.1.9 F)

This undescribed species, somewhat resembling Munidopsis taurulus Ortmann

from Japan is notable for the dense adornment of ‘scales’ covering the entire

dorsal surface, and fan-like row of spines on the basal antennular article. The

species was collected at two stations, together with Munida sp. nov. 1,

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus, Agononida marini and A. nielbrucei.

“Neonida” sp. nov.

This undescribed species is tentatively placed in Neonida though it could be

referable to a new genus. It was collected together with Agononida nielbrucei,

Munida sp. nov. 2, and Munidopsis treis.

Paramunida labis Macpherson, 1996 (Figure 3.1.9 I)

Paramunida labis, previously known Wallis and Futuna Islands, is recorded for

the first time from the Tasman Sea. The species resembles a Tasman Sea

species, P. antipodes Ahyong & Poore but is readily distinguished by having

three instead of one median gastric spine, and in having a shorter mesial spine

on the second antennal article. The species was collected at two stations, one

station at which Munida sp. nov. 7 was also present.

Final Report 63

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris (Dana, 1853)

The single specimen represents the first record of the species for the study

area. Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris is readily distinguished from P. pusillus by

the presence of two instead of four epigastric carapace spines. The species

was collected at one station together with Galathea tanegashimae and

Allogalathea elegans.

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus (Henderson, 1885) (Figure 3.1.9 J)

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus was reported from New Zealand and southeastern

Australia by Baba (1974) and Haig (1973), respectively. As indicated above, P.

pusillus and P. integrirostris can be distinguished by the number of epigastric

carapace spines. The species was collected at one station together with

Munidopsis sp. nov. 2, Agononida marini, A. nielbrucei and Munida sp. nov. 1.

Table 3.1.5. NORFANZ galatheid species and associated benchtop images. Note that specimen of Paramunida labis depicted the image file “020-074-Munida-sp3” was actually collected at station 025 and thus the image filename should be corrected to “025-074-Munida-sp3”.

Species Photographic Filename

Agononida eminens 043-059-Munida sp9

Agononida marini 126-038A-Munida-sp19

Agononida nielbrucei 006-004-Munida sp1

107-024-Munida-sp18

126-084-Munida-sp1

154-082a-Munida-sp27

154-082b-Munida-sp27

154-083-Munida-sp24

154-084-Munida-sp26

Agononida procera 056-026-Munida-sp14

066-123-Munida-sp16

089-039-Munida-sp17

Allogalathea elegans 067-037-Allogalathea-elegans

067-042-Allogalathea-elegans

Final Report 64

Species Photographic Filename

Galathea tanegashimae Not photographed

Leiogalathea laevirostris Not photographed

Munida curvirostris 043-055-Munida-sp11

043-056-Munida-sp12

043-058-Munida-sp13

029-014-Munida-sp8

Munida endeavourae 009-018-Munida-sp2

Munida sp. nov. 1 126-079-Munida-sp1

136-080-Munida-sp21

Munida sp. nov. 2 Not photographed

Munida sp. nov. 3 149-014-Munida-sp23

Munida sp. nov. 4 029-008-Munida-sp7

Munida sp. nov. 5 029-007-Munida-sp6

Munida sp. nov. 6 066-023-Munida sp15

Munida sp. nov. 7 020-071-Munida-sp4

Munida sp. nov. 8 043-060-Munida-sp10

Munidopsis rostrata 167-016a-Munidopsis-sp5

167-016b-Munidopsis-sp5

Munidopsis treis 154-099-Chirostylidae-sp10

Munidopsis valdiviae 102-012a-Munidopsis-sp3

102-012b-Munidopsis-sp3

Munidopsis sp. nov. 1 066-020-Munidopsis-sp1

Munidopsis sp. nov. 2 086-015-Munidopsis-sp2

127-077a-Munidopsis-sp4

127-077b-Munidopsis-sp4

127-077c-Munidopsis-sp4

“Neonida” sp. nov. Not photographed

Paramunida labis 020-005-Munida-sp3

020-074-Munida-sp3 (collected at station 025)

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris Not photographed

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus 126-087-Galathea-sp1

Final Report 65

POLYCHELIDAE

The polychelid lobsters, also known as deepwater blind lobsters, are

characterised by their flattened carapace and chelate pereopods 1–4 or 5. Five

species in two genera are represented in the NORFANZ collection:

Pentacheles laevis, Pentacheles validus, Polycheles enthrix, Polycheles

sculptus, and Polycheles suhmi. All species have been previously reported

from Australian and New Zealand waters (Galil, 2000, Ahyong & Brown, 2003).

Most species of Polychelidae, as with most deep water decapods are brightly

coloured. The colouration of Pentacheles laevis, Pentacheles validus and

Polycheles enthrix are each slightly different and are useful in distinguishing the

species. None are uniquely pigmented, however, such that they can be

identified without reference to diagnostic characters. Thus, species can often

be identified from high resolution bench top images, but accurate identification

of genera or species from seabed photographs will be difficult. NORFANZ

polychelids and file names of associated bench top images are given in

Table 3.1.6.

Pentacheles laevis Bate, 1878 (Figure 3.1.10 A)

Of the polychelids collected, Pentacheles laevis was collected at the largest

number of sites (19), though it was second in abundance with 38 specimens

collected. Pentacheles laevis is readily distinguished from Pentacheles validus

by having fewer lateral carapace spines in the posterior division (16 or fewer

vs. 20 or more). Pentacheles laevis was reported from Australia and New

Zealand by Galil (2000). Pentacheles laevis was sometimes collected together

with Pentacheles validus and Polycheles enthrix.

Final Report 66

Pentacheles validus A. Milne Edwards, 1880 (Figure 3.1.10 B)

Pentacheles validus was collected at five stations and is already known from

Australia and New Zealand (Galil, 2000, Ahyong & Brown, 2003). Pentacheles

validus was sometimes collected together with Pentacheles laevis and

Polycheles sculptus.

Polycheles enthrix (Bate, 1878) (Figure 3.1.10 E, F)

Polycheles enthrix was collected at 14 stations, but with 92 specimens

collected, was the most abundant of polychelids collected. The species can be

distinguished from other regional species by the spinose anterior frontal margin

and relatively smooth, unarmed branchial regions of the carapace. Polycheles

enthrix was sometimes collected together with Polycheles sculptus and

Pentacheles laevis.

Polycheles sculptus Smith, 1880 (Figure 3.1.10 C)

Polycheles sculptus is readily distinguished from other polychelids in the region

by the presence of U-shaped dorsal orbital sinuses and undivided dorsal

antrorse spines on abdominal somites 1–5. This species was collected at four

sites, sometimes together with Pentacheles laevis and Pentacheles validus.

Polycheles sculptus is already known from Australia and New Zealand (Galil,

2000, Ahyong & Brown, 2003).

Polycheles suhmi (Bate, 1878) (Figure 3.1.10 D)

Polycheles suhmi is readily distinguished from other polychelids in the region

by the presence of a bilobate, dorsally notched antrorse spine on abdominal

somites 2–5. This species was collected at three sites, and is already known

Final Report 67

from Australia and New Zealand (Galil, 2000, Ahyong & Brown, 2003).

Pentacheles laevis and Polycheles enthrix were sometimes sympatric.

Table 3.1.6. NORFANZ polychelid species and associated benchtop images.Species Photographic Filename

Pentacheles laevis 044-010a-Pentacheles-laevis

044-010b-Pentacheles-laevis

Pentacheles validus 047-012a-Polychelidae-sp3

047-012b-Polychelidae-sp3

071-010a-Polychelidae-sp3

071-010b-Polychelidae-sp3

Polycheles enthrix 029-009-Polychelidae-sp1

081-009a-Polychelidae-sp2

081-009b-Polychelidae-sp2

082-003a-Polychelidae-sp2

082-003b-Polychelidae-sp2

082-003c-Polychelidae-sp2

Polycheles sculptus 047-006a-Polychelidae-sp2

047-006b-Polychelidae-sp2

Polycheles suhmi 111-008a-Polychelidae-sp4

111-008b-Polychelidae-sp4

GLYPHOCRANGONIDAE

Deepwater shrimps of the genus Glyphocrangon are relatively large and

heavily armoured, being adorned with strong carinae and tubercles. More than

73 species are known (Komai, 2004, 2005). Five species of Glyphocrangon are

represented in the NORFANZ collection, one of which is new to science.

Glyphocrangon species and file names of associated bench top images are

given in Table 3.1.7.

Final Report 68

Glyphocrangon dimorpha Komai, 2004

The species, described from the Norfolk Ridge, is represented by 12

specimens from one station. One male and female are each infected with a

bopyrid isopod.

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Komai, 2004

The present specimens, collected at five stations, are tentatively referred to G.

formosana Komai, 2004, from Taiwan, though they could well represent an

undescribed species. The NORFANZ specimens differ from the type

description of G. formosana in having weaker carapace tubercles and an

anterior spine on the posterior 3rd carina of the carapace. All present

specimens are males whereas the type material of G. formosana consists only

of females. As such, the extent to which the observed differences can

attributable to sexual dimorphism is difficult to estimate at present.

Glyphocrangon novacastellum Kensley, Griffin & Tranter, 1987

The species was collected at two sites, and together with G. tasmanica at

station 80.

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Komai, 2004

Glyphocrangon tasmanica, described from the Tasman Sea, was collected

from 6 stations and is the most abundant of the species collected.

Glyphocrangon sp. nov.

This undescribed species, collected at two stations, closely resembles G.

richeri Komai, 2004 from New Caledonia, but differs in having blunt instead of

Final Report 69

compressed dorsal carapace tubercles, the anterior 3rd carina divergent instead

of parallel, a shorter scaphocerite, and a ventrally tricarinate rostrum.

Table 3.1.7. NORFANZ glyphocrangonid species and associated bench top images. *Note that the image file “090-027a-Glyphocrangon-sp7” of G.tasmanica should be corrected to “090-027a-Glyphocrangon-sp4”; the label accompanying the photographed specimen identifies it as Glyphocrangon sp. 4. Species Photographic Filename

Glyphocrangon dimorpha Not photographed

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Not photographed

Glyphocrangon novacastellum Not photographed

Glyphocrangon tasmanica 090-027a-Glyphocrangon-sp7*

090-027b-Glyphocrangon-sp7*

159-018- Glyphocrangon-sp4

Glyphocrangon sp. nov. Not photographed

General remarks

In the case of the Galatheidae and Polychelidae, the species recognised herein

generally conform well to the ‘photographic taxonomy’ derived from the bench

top images made during the NORFANZ cruise and SS0404. Unfortunately, in

the case of the Glyphocrangonidae, bench top photographs of only one species

were taken and are thus not discussed further. Galatheids often have bright

and distinctive colour patterns facilitating recognition of OTU’s that often

correspond to species. As such, most of the galatheid species collected were

recognised as distinct and therefore photographed. Apparently, however,

intraspecific and ontogenetic variation in colour patterns led to an overestimate

of the taxonomic diversity and several species were assigned to multiple

OTU’s. For example, specimens of Agononida nielbrucei were assigned to

eight different OTU’s (of which five were photographed, Table 3.1.6).

Final Report 70

Agononida procera was assigned to three different OTU’s, of which two were

applied to A. nielbrucei (i.e., “Munida sp. 14”, “Munida sp. 17”). Similarly,

Munida curvirostris was initially sorted into four different OTU’s. On the basis of

high resolution bench top images, galatheids can almost always be identified to

generic level, and often to species level if dealing with a known fauna.

Identification of most galatheids to generic or species level from seabed

images, however, is not generally possible owing to the smaller size of most

species (<30 mm body length) and low degree of resolution in seabed images.

Specimens should be collected for accurate identification.

Like many galatheids, polychelids are often brightly and distinctively coloured.

Of the five species of Polychelidae collected during the NORFANZ cruise, all

were recognised as distinct OTU’s aboard ship though specimens of one

species (Polycheles enthrix) were assigned to two different OTU’s, and

specimens of Polycheles sculptus were assigned to an OTU applied also to P.

enthrix (i.e., Polychelidae sp. 2). Polychelids can be identified to generic level

based on high resolution bench top images, and often to species as well.

Thus, whilst shipboard division of specimens into OTU’s is an extremely

valuable first step in estimating species richness, direct study of collected

material is necessary for accurate taxonomic assessment.

Table 3.1.8. Summary table according to specimen lots indicating species name, label name, acquisition number, station number and CAAB number where given. TAXON Label name Stn Acq/Reg# CAAB No.

GALATHEIDAE

Agononida eminens Munida 9 TAN0308/043 59

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/126 034

Final Report 71

TAXON Label name Stn Acq/Reg# CAAB No.

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/154 25

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/154 25 28840801

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/154 25 28840801

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/136 None given

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/124 004

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 1 TAN0308/141 009

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 23 TAN0308/154 084

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 17 TAN0308/149 018 28840817

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 17 TAN0308/132 020

Agononida nielbrucei Munida sp. TAN0308/006 004

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 18 TAN0308/107 24

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 14 TAN0308/107 25

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 14 TAN0308/158 019 28840814

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 18 TAN0308/154 080 28840818

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 27 TAN0308/126 84

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 14 TAN0308/158 019 28840814

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 24 TAN0308/154 083

Agononida nielbrucei Munida 25 TAN0308/154 082

Agononida marini Munida 19 TAN0308/126 38

Agononida procera Munida 17 TAN0308/89 039

Agononida procera Munida 14 TAN0308/56 026

Agononida procera Munida 16 TAN0308/066 033

Allogalathea elegans Allogalathea TAN0308/67 037

Allogalathea elegans Allogalathea TAN0308/67 42

Galathea tanegashimae Munida TAN0308/67 58

Leiogalathea laevirostris Chirostylidae TAN0308/29 25

Munida curvirostris Galatheid 6 TAN0308/043 56

Munida curvirostris Munida 7 TAN0308/043 57

Munida curvirostris Munida 8 TAN0308/043 58

Munida curvirostris Munida TAN0308/029 014

Munida endeavourae Munida 2 TAN0308/009 018

Munida endeavourae Munida 2 TAN0308/145 013 28840802

Munida sp. nov, 1 Munida sp. TAN0308/141 10

Munida sp. nov, 1 Munida sp. TAN0308/36 81

Munida sp. nov, 1 Munida sp. 22 TAN0308/126 79

Munida sp. nov, 1 Munida sp. TAN0307/136 80

Final Report 72

TAXON Label name Stn Acq/Reg# CAAB No.

Munida sp. nov. 2 Munida 1 TAN0308/154 25 28840801

Munida sp. nov. 3 Munida 21 TAN0308/149 014

Munida sp. nov. 4 Galatheid 25 TAN0308/29 None given

Munida sp. nov. 4 Munida TAN0308/029 008

Munida sp. nov. 5 Munida TAN0308/029 007

Munida sp. nov. 6 Munida 15 TAN0308/066 023

Munida sp. nov. 7 Galatheid 25 TAN0308/020 071

Munida sp. nov. 8 Munida 10 TAN0308/043 60

Munidopsis rostrata Munidopsis sp. 5 TAN0308/167 016

Munidopsis treis Chirostylidae sp. 10 TAN0308/154 099

Munidopsis valdiviae Munidopsis sp. 3 TAN0308/160 021 28842809

Munidopsis valdiviae Munidopsis sp. 3 TAN0308/130 006

Munidopsis valdiviae Munidopsis sp. 3 TAN0308/102 012

Munidopsis sp.1 nov. Munidopsis sp. TAN0308/066 020

Munidopsis sp.2 nov. Munidopsis sp. 2 TAN0308/086 015

Munidopsis sp.2 nov. Munidopsis sp. TAN0308/126 77

"Neonida" sp.nov. Munida 1 TAN0308/154 25 28840801

Paramunida labis Munida 3 TAN0308/020 005

Paramunida labis Galatheid 25 TAN0308/025 074

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris Munida TAN0308/67 58

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus Chirostylidae TAN0308/126 87

POLYCHELIDAE

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/121 013

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/0130 003

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/15 008

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/111 010

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae unident. 3 TAN0308/77 011

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/150 29

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/156 006 28815005

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/151 008

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/94 021

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/096 006

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/092 017

Final Report 73

TAXON Label name Stn Acq/Reg# CAAB No.

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/155 005 28815005

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/103 016

Pentacheles laevis P.laevis TAN0308/160 020

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/146 007 28815005

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae sp.3 TAN0308/167 018 28815803

Pentacheles laevis Pentacheles laevis TAN0308/114 005 28815005

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae sp. 2 TAN0308/111 010

Pentacheles laevis Polychelidae TAN0308/102 026

Pentacheles laevis SPECIMEN NOT SEEN TAN0308/044 10

Pentacheles validus Polychelidae sp. 3 TAN0308/167 018

Pentacheles validus Polychelidae TAN0308/73 034

Pentacheles validus Polychelidae TAN0308/71 010

Pentacheles validus Polychelidae sp.3 TAN0308/167 018 28815803

Pentacheles validus Polychelidae sp.3 TAN0308/072 006

Pentacheles validus SPECIMEN NOT SEEN TAN0308/047 012

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae 25 TAN0308/40 49

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae TAN0308/043 032

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae TAN0308/029 009

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae TAN0308/94 021

Polycheles enthrix Polycheles sp. TAN0308/89 005

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae TAN0308/95 007

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 1 TAN0308/079 007

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 1 TAN0308/080 005

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae 2 TAN0308/081 009

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 2 TAN0308/096 007

Polycheles enthrix Polycheles TAN0308/082 003

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 1 TAN0308/083 001

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 2 TAN0308/155 006 28815802

Polycheles enthrix Polychelidae sp. 2 TAN0308/159 015

Polycheles sculptus Polychelidae sp. 2 TAN0308/078 025

Polycheles sculptus Polychelidae 4 TAN0308/103 016

Polycheles sculptus TAN0308/072

Polycheles sculptus SPECIMEN NOT SEEN TAN0308/047 006

Polycheles suhmi Polycheles sp. TAN0308/89 005

Polycheles suhmi Polychelidae sp. 4 TAN0308/158 011 28815804

Polycheles suhmi Polychelidae sp. 4 TAN0308/111 008

Final Report 74

TAXON Label name Stn Acq/Reg# CAAB No.

GLYPHOCRANGONIDAE

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/079 008

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/90 27

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/159 018

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/080 003

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/166 002

Glyphocrangon tasmanica Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/91 006

Glyphocrangon novacastellum Glyphocrangon sp. 4 TAN0308/080 003

Glyphocrangon novacastellum Glyphocrangon sp. 3 TAN0308/89 040

Glyphocrangon cf richeri sp. nov. Glyphocrangon sp. 2 TAN0308/167 017 28780802

Glyphocrangon cf richeri sp. nov. Glyphocrangon sp. TAN0308/047 007

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Glyphocrangon sp. 3 TAN0308/066 016

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Glyphocrangon sp. TAN0308/043 033

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Glyphocrangon sp. 5 TAN0308/082 016

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Glyphocrangon sp. 1 TAN0308/51 029

Glyphocrangon cf formosana Glyphocrangon sp. TAN0308/81

Glyphocrangon dimorpha Glyphocrangon sp. TAN0308/71 013

References

Ahyong, S. T. & Brown, D. E. 2002. New species and new records of

Polychelidae from Australia (Decapoda: Crustacea). Raffles Bulletin of

Zoology 50(1): 53–79.

Final Report 75

Ahyong, S. T. & Poore, G. C. B. 2004. Deep-water Galatheidae (Crustacea:

Decapoda: Anomura) from southern and eastern Australia. Zootaxa 472: 1–

76.

Baba, K. 1974. Four new species of galatheidean Crustacea from New Zealand

waters. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 4: 381–393.

Baba, K. 2005. Deep-sea chirostylid and galatheid Crustaceans (Decapoda:

Anomura) from the Indo-Pacific, with a list of species. Galathea Report 20:

1–317.

Baba, K., & Poore, G. C. B. 2002. Munidopsis (Decapoda, Anomura) from

south-eastern Australia. Crustaceana 75 (3–4): 231–252.

Galil, B. S. 2000. Crustacea Decapoda: Review of the genera and species of

the family Polychelidae Wood-Mason, 1874. In: A. Crosnier (Ed.), Résultats

des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 21. Mémoires du Muséum national

d'Histoire naturelle, Vol. 184: 285–387. Paris.

Haig, J. 1973. Galatheidea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) collected by the

F.I.S. Endeavour. Records of the Australian Museum 28: 269–289.

Komai, T. 2004. A review of the Indo-West Pacific species of the genus

Glyphocrangon A. Milne-Edwards, 1881 (excluding the G. caeca species

group) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Glyphocrangonidae). In: Marshall, B.

A., and Richer de Forges, B. (eds), Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos 23.

Mémoires du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris 191: 375–610.

Komai, T. 2005. A distinctive new species of the deep-water shrimp genus

Glyphocrangon A. Milne-Edwards (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea:

Glyphocrangonidae) from southern Australia. Records of the Western

Australian Museum 22: 253–258.

Vereshchaka, A. L. 2005. New species of Galatheidae (Crustacea: Anomura:

Galatheoidea) from volcanic seamounts off northern New Zealand. Journal of

the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85(1): 137–142.

Final Report 76

Figure 3.1.7. NORFANZ Galatheidae. A, Agononida eminens (043-059-Munida sp9). B, Agononida marini (126-038A-Munida-sp19). C, Agononida procera (056-026-Munida-sp14). D–F, Agononida nielbrucei (154-082a-Munida-sp27, 154-084-Munida-sp26, 126-084-Munida-sp1). G, H, Allogalathea elegans (067-037-Allogalathea-elegans, 067-042-Allogalathea-elegans).

Final Report 77

Figure 3.1.8. NORFANZ Galatheidae. A–C, Munida curvirostris (043-056-Munida-sp12, 043-058-Munida-sp13, 029-014-Munida-sp8). D, Munida endeavourae (009-018-Munida-sp2). E, Munida sp. nov. 4 (029-008-Munida-sp7). F, Munida sp. nov. 3 (149-014-Munida-sp23). G, Munida sp. nov. 1(136-080-Munida-sp21). H, Munida sp. nov. 7(020-071-Munida-sp4). I, Munida sp. nov. 5 (029-007-Munida-sp6). J, Munida sp. nov. 6 (066-023-Munida sp15).

Final Report 78

Figure 3.1.9. NORFANZ Galatheidae. A, Munida sp. nov. 8 (043-060-Munida-sp10). B, C, Munidopsis rostrata (167-016a-Munidopsis-sp5, 167-016b-Munidopsis-sp5). D, E, Munidopsis valdiviae (102-012a-Munidopsis-sp3, 102-012b-Munidopsis-sp3). F, Munidopsis sp. nov. 2 (127-077b-Munidopsis-sp4). G, Munidopsis treis(154-099-Chirostylidae-sp10). H, Munidopsis sp. nov. 1 (066-020-Munidopsis-sp1). I, Paramunida labis (020-005-Munida-sp3). J, Phylladiorhynchus pusillus(126-087-Galathea-sp1).

Final Report 79

Figure 3.1.10. NORFANZ Polychelidae. A, Pentacheles laevis (044-010a-Pentacheles-laevis). B, Pentacheles validus (047-012b-Polychelidae-sp3). C, Polycheles sculptus (047-006a-Polychelidae-sp2). D, Polycheles suhmi (111-008a-Polychelidae-sp4). E, F, Polycheles enthrix (081-009a-Polychelidae-sp2, 082-003a-Polychelidae-sp2).

80 Final Report

Tabl

e 3.

1.9.

NO

RFA

NZ

stat

ions

at w

hich

Gal

athe

idae

, Pol

yche

lidae

and

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae w

ere

colle

cted

.

Fam

ily

Gal

athe

idae

Po

lych

elid

ae

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae

Spec

ies

Agononida eminens

Agononida nielbrucei

Agononida marini

Agononida procera

Allogalathea elegans

Galathea tanegashimae

Leiogalathea laevirostris

Munida curvirostris

Munida endeavourae

Munida sp.nov.1

Munida sp. nov.2

Munida sp. nov. 3

Munida sp. nov.4

Munida sp. nov.5

Munida sp. nov.6

Munida sp. nov.7

Munida sp. nov.8

Munidopsis rostrata

Munidopsis treis

Munidopsis valdiviae

Munidopsis sp.1 nov.

Munidopsis sp.2 nov.

"Neonida" sp.nov.

Paramunida labis

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus

Pentacheles laevis

Pentacheles validus

Polycheles enthrix

Polycheles sculptus

Polycheles suhmi

Glyphocrangon dimorpha

Glyphocrangon cf formosana

Glyphocrangon novacastellum

Glyphocrangon tasmanica

Glyphocrangon sp. nov.

Stat

ion

#

6

x

9

x

15

x

20

x

x

25

x

29

x x

xx

x

36

x

40

x

43x

x

x

x

x

44

x

47

x

x

x 51

x

56

x

66

x

x

x

x

67

x

x

x

71

x

x

Final Report 81

Fam

ily

Gal

athe

idae

Po

lych

elid

ae

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae

Spec

ies

Agononida eminens

Agononida nielbrucei

Agononida marini

Agononida procera

Allogalathea elegans

Galathea tanegashimae

Leiogalathea laevirostris

Munida curvirostris

Munida endeavourae

Munida sp.nov.1

Munida sp. nov.2

Munida sp. nov. 3

Munida sp. nov.4

Munida sp. nov.5

Munida sp. nov.6

Munida sp. nov.7

Munida sp. nov.8

Munidopsis rostrata

Munidopsis treis

Munidopsis valdiviae

Munidopsis sp.1 nov.

Munidopsis sp.2 nov.

"Neonida" sp.nov.

Paramunida labis

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus

Pentacheles laevis

Pentacheles validus

Polycheles enthrix

Polycheles sculptus

Polycheles suhmi

Glyphocrangon dimorpha

Glyphocrangon cf formosana

Glyphocrangon novacastellum

Glyphocrangon tasmanica

Glyphocrangon sp. nov.

Stat

ion

#

72

x

x

73

x

77

x

78

x

79

x

x

80

x

x

x

81

x

x

82

x

x

83

X

86

x

89

x

x

x

x

90

x

91

x

92

x

94

x

x

95

x

96

x

x

82 Final Report

Fam

ily

Gal

athe

idae

Po

lych

elid

ae

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae

Spec

ies

Agononida eminens

Agononida nielbrucei

Agononida marini

Agononida procera

Allogalathea elegans

Galathea tanegashimae

Leiogalathea laevirostris

Munida curvirostris

Munida endeavourae

Munida sp.nov.1

Munida sp. nov.2

Munida sp. nov. 3

Munida sp. nov.4

Munida sp. nov.5

Munida sp. nov.6

Munida sp. nov.7

Munida sp. nov.8

Munidopsis rostrata

Munidopsis treis

Munidopsis valdiviae

Munidopsis sp.1 nov.

Munidopsis sp.2 nov.

"Neonida" sp.nov.

Paramunida labis

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus

Pentacheles laevis

Pentacheles validus

Polycheles enthrix

Polycheles sculptus

Polycheles suhmi

Glyphocrangon dimorpha

Glyphocrangon cf formosana

Glyphocrangon novacastellum

Glyphocrangon tasmanica

Glyphocrangon sp. nov.

Stat

ion

#

102

x

x

103

x

x

107

x

111

x

x

114

x

121

x

124

x

126

x

x

x

x

x

130

x

x

132

x

136

x

x

141

x

x

145

x

146

x

149

x

x

150

x

151

x

Final Report 83

Fam

ily

Gal

athe

idae

Po

lych

elid

ae

Gly

phoc

rang

onid

ae

Spec

ies

Agononida eminens

Agononida nielbrucei

Agononida marini

Agononida procera

Allogalathea elegans

Galathea tanegashimae

Leiogalathea laevirostris

Munida curvirostris

Munida endeavourae

Munida sp.nov.1

Munida sp. nov.2

Munida sp. nov. 3

Munida sp. nov.4

Munida sp. nov.5

Munida sp. nov.6

Munida sp. nov.7

Munida sp. nov.8

Munidopsis rostrata

Munidopsis treis

Munidopsis valdiviae

Munidopsis sp.1 nov.

Munidopsis sp.2 nov.

"Neonida" sp.nov.

Paramunida labis

Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris

Phylladiorhynchus pusillus

Pentacheles laevis

Pentacheles validus

Polycheles enthrix

Polycheles sculptus

Polycheles suhmi

Glyphocrangon dimorpha

Glyphocrangon cf formosana

Glyphocrangon novacastellum

Glyphocrangon tasmanica

Glyphocrangon sp. nov.

Stat

ion

#

154

x

x

x

x

155

x

x

156

x

158

x

x

159

x

x

160

x

x

166

x

167

x

x x

x

Final Report 84

Crustacea: Decapoda (crabs and prawns)

Rick Webber

Crustacea are the most diverse and abundant group of invertebrates captured,

comprising 350 species identified onboard during the NORFANZ voyage. The

diversity of medium to large crustaceans collected was exceptional, probably

the greatest of any single oceanic biodiversity survey undertaken in this part of

the Pacific Ocean. This was due in good part to the wide variety of benthic,

benthopelagic and midwater sampling gear used. On the basis of identification

work so far carried out onshore, the number of species identified in samples is

expected to increase more than 10%.

Decapod crustaceans (shrimps, prawns, crabs and lobsters) occupy all levels

of the water column as well as soft and hard substrates. At all NORFANZ

stations decapods were the highest proportion of crustacean lots collected.

Pelagic and benthopelagic prawns were well sampled by the ratcatcher and

midwater trawls; small prawns, crabs and ‘squat lobsters’ associated with rough

bottoms and corals were very well represented in dredge samples. Medium to

large commercially valuable prawn species such as royal red and jack-knife

prawns were collected frequently. The mainly deepwater ‘squat lobsters’, small

to medium sized lobster-like crustaceans related to hermit and king crabs, were

particularly plentiful around and on branching corals. A remarkable variety of

squat lobsters (families Galatheidae and Chirostylidae), were collected with

over 70 species recognised onboard including a large but as yet undetermined

number of species new to science.

Final Report 85

Crustacea: Decapoda (principally dendrobranchiate prawns

and brachyuran crabs)

Peter Davie and William Dall

Updated identifications have been made on the attached Excel spreadsheet.

Rows highlighted in Blue are specimens that appear not to have been picked

up by the initial post-trip sort and therefore not received back at the

Queensland Museum. Rick Webber has acknowledged that a number of

penaeids were found as part of his later more careful sorting, and will be sent

on to the QM. Penaeid identifications of all specimens currently held at the QM

have been mainly done by Dr W. Dall, Honorary Research Fellow, CSIRO

Marine Research. Initial identifications of the crabs is being undertaken by

Peter Davie, and has so far been about half completed.

Highlights so far:

New Species:

Prawns:

Hymenopenaeus sp. nov. — a new species previously identified from the New

Caledonian region by Dr A. Crosnier. NORFANZ procured a good quantity of

new material (5 males, 7 females), that is described by Crosnier & Dall (2004)

and is included in the type series.

Final Report 86

Lobster:

Galearctus sp. nov. (Scyllaridae)

Apparently a new species of small scyllarine lobster.

Crabs:

Neopilumnoplax sp. nov. (Goneplacidae)

Previously very rare or poorly known species:

Prawns:

Gordonella kensleyi Crosnier, 1988

Previously known from only three female specimens from off the Cape of Good

Hope, south of Mozambique, and off New Caledonia. NORFANZ collected an

additional nine males and 15 females. A description of the male will be

published.

Hymenopenaeus obliquirostris (Bate, 1881)

Previously known from the Challenger Expedition of 1874, from west of the

Kermadec Islands (about 5º E of the Norfolk Ridge). NORFANZ collected an

additional seven males and 27 females. A description of the male will be

published.

Final Report 87

Benthesicymus urinator howensis (Dall, 2001)

Recently described by W. Dall from two females from the Lord Howe Rise. The

abundant new material (50 specimens) indicate that this is a good species in its

own right. Formal elevation to species status and the first description of the

male will be taken as part of an ensuing publication. The known distribution is

now extended to the Norfolk Ridge.

Caridean Shrimps:

Hamiger novaezealandiae (Borradaille, 1916)

Previously only known from two type specimens collected from off North Cape,

New Zealand. Present specimens extend the known range, and provide

information on the ecology for the first time. These shrimps live commensally

imprisoned in pairs inside the chamber of a hexactinellid glass sponge (see

‘Creature feature’ below).

Significant Range Extensions:

Prawns:

Austropenaeus nitidus (Barnard, 1947)

A colder water species, fairly common at depths around 1200m, south of 26�S.

Uncommon off SE coast of Australia, but fairly common on the reasonably

common on the West Norfolk Ridge.

Final Report 88

Metapenaeopsis velutina (Dana, 1852)

A shallow water east coast species, these records mark an easterly range

extension, and are the first records for the Lord Howe Rise.

Hadropenaeus lucasii (Bate, 1881)

A warm water species, previously known from off eastern Australia to about

28ºS. These records are a significant southerly and south-easterly range

extension. First records for the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges.

Solenocera comata (Stebbing, 1915)

A warm water species, previously known from Australia from off the NW coast,

otherwise from the western Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Timor Sea, Philippines

and Japan.

Anomura:

Neolithodes vinogradovi (Macpherson, 1988) (Lithodidae/Anomura)

Originally described from Southern Indian Ocean, and a subsequent record

from off New Caledonia. Not previously from LH and Norfolk Ridges.

Lithodes murrayi (Henderson, 1888)

These records mark a significant northerly range extension.

Final Report 89

Crabs:

Krangalangia spinosa (Zarenkov, 1970)

A significant northerly range extension. Previously from 18ºS off eastern

Australia, and from New Caledonia.

Meractaea brucei (Serène, 1984) (Xanthidae)

Previously from Kenya and off Mozambique, these are the first records for the

Western Pacific.

Portunus dubius (Laurie, 1906) (Portunidae)

Marks a major range extension into the SW Pacific. Previously from

Philippines, India and Ceylon.

Lupocyclus quinquedentatus (Rathbun, 1906) (Portunidae)

Marks a major range extension into the SW Pacific. Widespread from

Seychelles to Hawaii, but not previously from Australian waters.

Thalamita gatavakensis (Nobili, 1906) (Portunidae)

A new record for the region, and not previously from Australian waters.

Final Report 90

Miersiograpsus australiensis (Türkay, 1978) (Plagusiidae)

Previously from off SE Australia, but present records extend distribution

eastwards, and are the first records for the LH and Norfolk Ridges. Also first

habitat record: live commensally in folds of giant hexactinellid sponge (see

‘Creature feature’ below).

Wide to Cosmopolitan Distribution But New Records for the Area:

Prawns:

Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827)

Widespread Indo-west Pacific and Atlantic species. Known between 18ºS to

43ºS off eastern Australia, from New Zealand waters and from New Caledonia

to the north, but apparently not previously from the Lord Howe and Norfolk

Ridges.

Aristaeopsis edwardsiana (Johnson, 1867)

Present records mark a significant south-easterly range extension. First records

for the LH and Norfolk Ridges.

Aristeus mabahissae (Ramadan, 1938)

Typically warm water species. Present records mark a significant south-

easterly range extension. First records for the LH and Norfolk Ridges.

Final Report 91

Aristeus virilis (Bate, 1881)

Typically warm water species. Present records mark a significant south-

easterly range extension. First records for the LH and Norfolk Ridges.

Sicyonia parafallax (Crosnier, 1995)

Present records mark a significant south-easterly range extension. First records

for the LH and Norfolk Ridges.

Hymenopenaeus neptunus (Bate,1881)

Previously known to about 18ºS off eastern Australia; present records mark a

significant south-easterly range extension. First records for the LH and Norfolk

Ridges.

Haliporoides sibogae (de Man, 1907)

A commercial species off NSW. Widespread Indo-west Pacific species. Known

between 16º to 40ºS off eastern Australia, and from New Zealand waters, but

apparently not previously from the Lord Howe and Norfolk Ridges.

Creature Feature

Exciting aspects of ecology were also revealed, and include habitat

relationships between small crustaceans and glass sponges

Final Report 92

Obligate relationship between a pair of male and female shrimps of the

potentially new species Spongicaris sp. 1 [28724802] and a glass sponge

Hexactinellida sp 51 [10300885]. The shrimps settle as larvae inside the cavity

of the glass sponge, and as they grow into adults become too large to escape

through the small holes in the sponge matrix. Perhaps the shrimps help keep

the inside of the sponge clean, or just as likely use the sponge as a protective

cocoon in which to live out their lives in safety (Figure 3.1.11).

Topview showing the matrix that closes the sponge cavity

Spongicaris sp 1 [CAAB 28724802] male and female Glass sponge Hexactinellida sp 51 [CAAB 10300885]

Figure3.1.11. Pair of Spongicaris sp 1 that were found inside the matrix of Hexactinellida sp 51indicating an obligate relationship. Sample taken at Station 136: Site 2 South Norfolk Ridge, 469-490 m depth, Beam Trawl

Final Report 93

First record of the habitat of two crustacean species: a crab Miersiograpsus

australiensis and a shrimp Hamiger novaezelandiae. Both were found living

inside the folds of a new species of large glass sponge Lophocalyx sp. (K.

Tabachnik pers. comm. to A.J. Bruce) (= Hexactinellida sp. 47). This is the first

record of Hamiger novaezelandiae (Borradaile) since it was described from the

type specimen in 1910, and the first ever record of its host (Bruce 2005).

Shrimps in this family (Palaemonidae: Pontoniinae) are common commensals

on a wide variety of shallow water invertebrate hosts, but this is the first to be

definitely found associated with deepwater hexactinellid sponges. It was also

particularly exciting to discover the home of the crab, Miersiograpsus

australiensis, because crabs of this family are normally free-living. These large

sponges are like apartment blocks for large numbers of this seldom before

found crab (Figure 3.1.12).

Final Report 94

side view

top view

Glass sponge Lophocalyx sp[CAAB 10300931]

Hamiger novaezelandiae [CAAB 28756218]

Miersiograpsus australiensis [CAAB 28935006]

Figure3.1.12. Haminger novaezelandiae and Miesiograpsus australiensis both sampled from the folds of the glasssponge Lophocalyx sp this represents the first record of the habitat of these species. Sample taken at Station 133: Site 2 South Norfolk Ridge, 465-490 m depth, ORH Bottom Trawl.

Final Report 95

Pycnogonida (sea spiders)

David Staples

In overview, of the 93 specimens examined, twelve species are recorded, 9 of

which appear to be new. Five genera belonging to three families are

represented.

Family AMMOTHEIDAE Dohrn, 1881

Genus Ascorhynchus Sars, 1877

Ascorhynchus sp A

Material; West Norfolk Ridge, Wanganella Bank (33 45 .10 167 27 .036),

1478 m, beam trawl, 28 May 2003, (stn 102, Acc # 017), NMV….. (2

specimens).

Ascorhynchus sp B

Material; (stn 024, Acc # 92), NMV ……(1 specimen)

Genus Bathyzetes Stock, 1955

Bathyzetes sp.

Final Report 96

Material examined. West Norfolk Ridge, Wanganella Bank (33 37 .38S

167 35 .17E), 126m, beam trawl, 29 May 2003, (stn 106 Acc # 027) NMV….. (1

sub-adult indeterminate sex).

Family CALLIPALLENIDAE Sars, 1891

Pallenopsis (Pallenopsis) virgata? Loman, 1908

Material examined. Lord Howe Rise (29 13 09S 158 59 85E), 300 m,

Sherman trawl, 20 May 2003, (stn 049 Acc # 031), NMV…. (1 female (ov). Lord

Howe Rise (29 13 .12S 159 00 45E), 299 m, Sherman trawl, 20 May 2003,

(stn 055 Acc # 031), NMV…. (4 males, 1 female).

Pallenopsis (Pallenopsis) sp.

Material examined. West Norfolk Ridge, Wanganella Bank (33 37 38S 167

35 .17E), 126m, beam trawl, 29 May 2003, (stn 106 Acc # 027) NMV….. (28

males, 20 females).

Pallenopsis (Bathypallenopsis)

Material examined. West Norfolk Rise, Wanganella Bank (35 35 83S 169

33 43E), 1760 m, ratcatcher bottom trawl, 5 Jun 2003, (Stn 167 Acc # 005),

NMV…. (. 1 female).

Lord Howe Plateau (34 35 83S 169 33 43E), 748 m, rat catcher bottom trawl,

26 May 2003 (stn 089 Acc # 42), NMV….. (1 male).

Final Report 97

Pallenopsis (Bathypallenopsis)

Material. Lord Howe Plateau (34 35 83S 169 33 43E), 748 m, rat catcher

bottom trawl, 26 May 2003 (stn 089 Acc # 42), NMV….. (1 male).

Pallenopsis (Pallenopsis)

Material examined. South Norfolk Rise (33 23 60S 170 12 38E), 469 m, beam

trawl, 1 Jun 2003, (stn 136 Acc # 76), NMV…. (1 male).

Family COLOSSENDEIDAE Hoek, 1881

Genus Colossendeis Jarzynsky, 1870

Colossendeis

Material examined. Lord Howe Plateau (34 12 .20S 162 41 44E) 751 m, 26

May 2003, (stn 084, Acc #002, NMV….. (1 specimen); West Norfolk Ridge,

Wanganella Bank (34 37 20S 168 57 .03E) 521 m, 3 Jun 2003, (stn 154 Acc

# 089) NMV… ( ).

Colossendeis colossea Wilson, 1881.

Material examined. Lord Howe Rise (32 03 .98S 159 52 80E) 1934 m

ratcatcher bottom trawl, 24 May 03, (stn 071 Acc # 015, NMV… (1 specimen).

Lord Howe Plateau (32 25 .94S 161 47 .62E) 1132 m, rat cat catcher bottom

trawl, 24 May 2003, (stn 073, Acc #009, NMV…. (2 specimens). West Norfolk

Final Report 98

Rise, Wanganella Bank (35 35 83S 169 33 .43E), 1760 m, ratcatcher bottom

trawl, 5 Jun 2003, (Stn 167 Acc # 004), NMV…. (3 specimens) (specimen) 2

lots?

Regional records. Slope 60, Slope 72 Slope 83,

Colossendeis macerrima Wilson, 1881.

Material examined. West Norfolk Rise (34 17 .09S 168 21 .50E) 800 m, beam

trawl, 2 Jun 2003 (stn 141 Acc No?), NMV…. (11 specimens). Lord Howe

Plateau (34 35 .83S 169 33 .43E), 748 m, rat catcher bottom trawl, 26 May

2003 (stn 089 Acc # 41), NMV….. (3 specimens). West Norfolk Ridge,

Wanganella Bank (34 37 20S 168 57 .03E) 521 m, 3 Jun 2003, (stn 154 Acc

# 106) NMV… (1 specimen).Tan 0308/154, Acc No.106. (1 specimen). West

Norfolk Rise (34 34 .26S 168 56 .53 E) 1013 m, ratcatcher bottom trawl, 4

Jun 2003, (stn 156, Acc # 001, NMV…. (1 specimen); West Norfolk Rise,

Wanganella Bank (35 35 83S 169 33 43E), 1760 m, ratcatcher bottom trawl, 5

Jun 2003, (Stn 167 Acc # 006), NMV…… (3 specimens).

Distribution. This is a cosmopolitan deep-water species found from about 400

to almost 4000 m.

Regional records. Flores Sea, Widely distributed off S-E & Southern Aust

Final Report 99

Rhopalorhynchus sp (Appears to be undescribed)

Material examined. West Norfolk Ridge, Wanganella Bank (33 37 38S 167

35 17E), 126m, beam trawl, 29 May 2003, (stn 106 Acc # 027) NMV……, (6

specimens).

Unidentifiable protonymphon

Material examined. West Norfolk Ridge, Wanganella Bank (33 37 38S 167

35 17E), 126m, beam trawl, 29 May 2003, (stn 106 Acc # 027) NMV…… (1

specimen).

Sharks, rays, Chaunacidae (coffinfishes) and many minor taxa

Peter Last (data added to tables in Appendices)

Mesopelagic fishes: several groups including stomiiforms and

Family Myctophidae (lanternfishes)

John Paxton (data added to tables in Appendices)

Macrouridae (grenadiers or whiptails)

Tomio Iwamoto and Peter McMillan

Grenadiers of the families Bathygadidae and Macrouridae comprised a major

portion of the fish species diversity in demersal collections made during the

cruise. Of 132 bottom shots, 87 (66%) contained one or more grenadier

species. Four bathygadid species in two genera and 50 or more macrourid

Final Report 100

species in 15 genera were collected; at least three of these represent species

new to science. Nine described species are newly recorded from the EEZ of

New Zealand, and three represent new records for Australia.

The most frequently collected species was the bathygadid Gadomus aoteanus,

which was taken in 28 separate hauls. The second most numerous was the

macrourid Caelorinchus innotabilis (22 hauls), followed closely by five species:

Caelorinchus mycterismus (20 hauls), Bathygadus cottoides (20), Cetonurus

globiceps (19) Coryphaenoides striaturus (19), and Coryphaenoides serrulatus

(18).

In terms of total numbers of individuals represented in all hauls, only eight

species exceeded 100, with Cetonurus globiceps (1164 individuals) far ahead

of the others: Caelorinchus mycterismus (712), C. innotabilis (561), Bathygadus

cottoides (312), Gadomus aoteanus (215), Coryphaenoides serrulatus (204),

Trachonurus gagates (116), Coryphaenoides striaturus (111). Nine species

were represented by only one specimen.

In total weight for all hauls, only nine species exceeded 20 kg, with Cetonurus

globiceps (224.5 kg) and Caelorinchus mycterismus (147.3 kg) the only species

exceeding 100 kg. The others with more than 20 kg were: Caelorinchus

celaenostomus (74.3 kg; 87 specimens), Coryphaenoidies serrulatus (44.88

kg), Coryphaenoides rudis (41.2 kg, from only 7 specimens), Gadomus

aoteanus (33.6 kg), Caelorinchus innotabilis (27.08 kg), Trachonurus gagates

(26.3), and Coryphaenoides striaturus (20.66 kg).