New and little-known Komokiacea (Foraminifera) from the bathyal and abyssal Weddell Sea and adjacent areas

Abstract

Based on samples from the south-east Atlantic and Southern Ocean collected during the ANDEEP III campaign we describe three new species, Ipoa pennata sp. nov., Septuma stellata sp. nov. and Skeletonia variabilis gen. et sp. nov., of the enigmatic deep-sea foraminiferan superfamily Komokiacea. A further six species, Ipoa fragila Tendal & Hessler, 1977, Komokia multiramosa Tendal & Hessler, 1977, Normanina conferta (Norman, 1878), Septuma ocotillo Tendal & Hessler, 1977, S. brachyramosa Kamenskaya, 1993, and S. komokiformis Kamenskaya 1993, are redescribed. Together, these nine species occurred at 14 stations across the depth range 1549–4935 m. Normanina conferta was found at 11 stations (1579–4935 m); S. ocotillo (4526–4935 m), S. brachyramosa (1819–4730 m) and S. stellata (2603–4934 m) at six stations each; I. fragila (4649–4934 m) at five stations; K. multiramosa (4700–4935) and S. variabilis (4696–4932 m) at four stations each; I. pennata (4803–4934 m) at three stations and S. komokiformis (3103–4526 m) at two stations. Five species occur in both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Southern Ocean, suggesting that close faunal links exist between these areas. Three were first described from the North Pacific Ocean while others, including the three new species, are so far known only from the Southern Ocean.