Redescription of Jenkina articulata Brøndsted from the deep Eckström Shelf, E-Weddell Sea, Antarctica and a comment on the possible mass occurrence of this species

Abstract

This paper reports on an unexpected large catch of the rare calcareous sponge species Jenkina articulata Brøndsted, 1931, taken in the Antarctic Weddell Sea during the ANT XXIV/2-SYSTCO expedition in January 2008. This species is only known from the original description from two specimens collected from the type locality off Wilhelm II-Land. During the SYSTCO expedition more than 60 specimens were collected using an Agassiz trawl at 600 m depth on the Eckström Shelf, Eastern Weddell Sea. Based on this collection, we give a redescription of the incompletely known species, place the locality of catch in a major context, and discuss possible explanations for the rich occurrence of this species in the sponge-ground fauna.