The fauna of the deep seaHickson, Sydney J. (Sydney John)
Science
The fauna of the deep sea
Hickson, Sydney J. (Sydney John)
Marine animals
Almost precisely similar remarks apply to the distribution of the pearly
Nautilus. The shells of this Cephalopod are sometimes found in great
number on the shores of some of the islands of the Southern Pacific
Ocean and the Malay Archipelago, but the living animal is but rarely
captured. It has been asserted by some travellers that the pearly
Nautilus floats on the surface of the ocean and possesses the power of
suddenly diving to great depths on being disturbed; but it must be
remembered that Rumphius originally caught his Amboyna specimens of
Nautilus in traps set at a depth of 200 fathoms baited with sea-urchins,
and that the ‘Challenger’ captured a single living specimen off Matuku
island in 300 fathoms.
The probability, then, is that both _Nautilus_ and _Spirula_ should be
included in the deep-sea fauna, but we are still in want of a great deal
more information concerning their life and habits before this point can
be definitely determined.
CHAPTER VII
THE ARTHROPODA OF THE DEEP SEA
The deep-sea fauna seems to be particularly rich in marine Arthropoda,
many curious and interesting forms being brought up with almost every
haul of the dredge. The Arthropoda, too, being very highly organised
animals, afford interesting and instructive examples of the effect of
abysmal life in the modification of the sense organs and the production
of varieties specially modified for the conditions of the struggle for
existence in their strange habitat.
Concerning the groups of Ostracoda and Copepoda it may be said that the
evidence is not yet conclusive that they include any truly deep-sea
species. The largest known Ostracod, measuring somewhat more than an
inch in length and probably allied to the genus _Crossophorus_, has
quite recently been captured by Professor Agassiz at depths of less than
200 fathoms, but he could obtain no evidence that it descended into much
deeper water than this.
Mr. Brady, in writing the report of the ‘Challenger’ Ostracoda, came to
the conclusion that they do exist in very limited numbers in the most
profound depths of the sea; but it is nevertheless quite possible that
all the Ostracods brought on deck by the trawl or dredge were really
captured either on the way down or on the way up, and are, strictly
speaking, pelagic in habit.
Similar caution must be taken in dealing with the Copepoda, an order of
Crustacea that is essentially pelagic in habit. The only species that
has been regarded as undoubtedly abysmal is _Pontostratiotes
abyssicola_, a form whose carapace and antennæ are armed with
exceedingly long and strongly toothed spines, and was found in the mud
brought up by the trawl from a depth of 2,200 fathoms.
_Calamus princeps_, the largest species of its genus of a deep reddish
brown colour, may also belong to the fauna of the deep sea, but we have
less evidence concerning the habitat of _Hemicalamus aculeatus_,
_Phyllopus bidentatus_, and some of the Euchætæ.
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