Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIIIHaeckel, Ernst
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Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIII
Haeckel, Ernst
Radiolaria
A. Many specimens of bottom-deposits from the Pacific, which are entered
in the Challenger lists either as "red clay" or "Globigerina ooze,"
contain larger or smaller quantities of Radiolaria, and the number of
different species of SPUMELLARIA and NASSELLARIA which they contain is
often so great that the deposit might have been almost as appropriately
termed "Radiolarian ooze," _e.g._, Stations 241 to 245, and 270, 271
(compare §§ 236-239).
B. Pacific Radiolarian ooze was first obtained by Lieutenant Brooke (May
11, 1859) between the Philippines and Marianne Islands, from a depth of
3300 fathoms (lat. 18° 3' N., long. 129° 11' E.). Ehrenberg, who first
described it, found seventy-nine different species of Polycystina in it,
and reported "that their quantity and the number of different forms
increased with the depth" (Monatsber. d. k. preuss. Akad. d. Wiss.
Berlin, 1860, pp. 466, 588, 766).
230. _Fauna of the Indian Ocean._--As regards its Radiolarian fauna the
Indian Ocean is the least known of the three great basins. Still the few
limited spots, regarding which {cl}investigations are forthcoming, indicate
a very rich development of Radiolarian life. Probably it approaches more
nearly the fauna of the Pacific than that of the Atlantic, both as regards
the abundance and the morphological characters of its species. The
researches of the Challenger are very limited and incomplete as regards the
Indian Ocean, for the expedition only just touched upon this great ocean
basin (2000 to 3000 fathoms deep) at its two extremities (westwards at the
Cape of Good Hope and eastwards at Tasmania), its course lying for the most
part south of lat. 45° S. and extending beyond lat. 65° S. (from Station
149 to 158, south of lat. 50° S.). It is true that this portion of the
South Indian Ocean was shown to contain Radiolaria everywhere, but these
were more plentiful in individuals than in species. Only from Station 156
to Station 159 (between lat. 62° and 47° S., and long. 95° and 130° E.) was
the bottom, which consisted partly of Diatom ooze and partly of Globigerina
ooze, richer in species (see note A). The gaps left by the Challenger in
the investigation of the Indian Ocean, have, however, been to some extent
filled from other sources. As early as 1859 the English "Cyclops"
expedition had shown that the bottom of the Indian Ocean to the east of
Zanzibar (lat. 9° 37' S., long. 61° 33' W.) is covered with pure
Radiolarian ooze (see note B). Also since the Tertiary rocks of the Nicobar
Islands are for the most part of the same composition, and since a great
abundance of Radiolaria has been shown to be present both in the east part
of the ocean, between the Cocos Islands and the Sunda Archipelago (see note
C), and in the northern part or Arabian Sea between Socotra and Ceylon (see
note D); it may be assumed with great probability that the greater part of
the basin of the Indian Ocean, like that of the Pacific, is covered either
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