The Bryozoa collection of the Italian National Antarctic Museum, with an updated checklist from Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea.

Matteo Cecchetto,Chiara Lombardi,Simonepietro Canese,Silvia Cocito,Claudio Mazzoli,Stefano Schiaparelli,Piotr Kuklinski

doi:10.3897/zookeys.812.26964

Abstract

This study provides taxonomic and distributional data of bryozoan species from the Ross Sea area, mainly around Terra Nova Bay, based on specimens curated at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, Section of Genoa). Bryozoan specimens were collected at 75 different sampling stations in the Ross Sea and in the Magellan Strait, in a bathymetric range of 18–711 meters, during 13 expeditions of the Italian National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) conducted between 1988 and 2014. A total of 282 MNA vouchers corresponding to 311 specimens and 127 morphospecies have been identified and included in the present dataset. 62% of the species were already reported for the Terra Nova Bay area, where most of the Italian samples come from, with a 35% of samples representing new records classified at the specific level, and 3% classified at the genus level. These new additions increase to 124 the total number of species known to occur in Terra Nova Bay. Four 3D-models of Antarctic bryozoans from the Ross Sea are also presented and will be released for research and educational purposes on the Museum website.

Highlights

In the last 30 years, several Italian expeditions have been conducted in the Ross Sea leading to the publication of contributions on different taxonomic groups
The present study provides distributional data and taxonomic identification, at the lowest possible level, of bryozoans collected during 13 scientific expeditions of the PNRA in the Ross Sea and the Magellan Strait
The present dataset reports distributional data on bryozoan specimens belonging to the classes Stenolaemata and Gymnolaemata collected in the Ross Sea and in Magellan Strait

Summary

Introduction

In the last 30 years, several Italian expeditions have been conducted in the Ross Sea leading to the publication of contributions on different taxonomic groups. Few samples from the Magellan Strait, collected during the VI Italian National Antarctic Program (PNRA) expedition in 1991, are included here.

Results

Conclusion