Polacanthoderes sp. 1

Sørensen, Martin V., Macheriotou, Lara, Braeckman, Ulrike, Smith, Craig R. & Ingels, Jeroen, 2025, Antarctic Kinorhyncha: Seven new species from the Antarctic Peninsula, European Journal of Taxonomy 1000 (1), pp. 1-102 : 29-30

Polacanthoderes sp. 1

Material examined

ANTARCTICA – Antarctic Peninsula • 1 ♂ (mounted for SEM); CRS 1767; 64°47.99′ S, 65°20.55′ W; 590 m b.s.l.; 4 Apr. 2016; FjordEco2; soft sediment; MVS • 1 ♂ (mounted for SEM); CRS 1776; 64°52.53′ S, 62°33.90′ W; 551 m b.s.l.; 7 Apr. 2016; FjordEco2; soft sediment; MVS • 1 ♂ (mounted for SEM); CRS 1809; 64°39.59′ S, 62°55.09′ W; 694 m b.s.l.; 15 Apr. 2016; FjordEco2; soft sediment; MVS .

Short description

Three adult males were examined with scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of the specimens closely follows the species diagnosis of P. grzelakae sp. nov., except for the missing ventrolateral tubes on segment 2. Short subdorsal acicular spines on segment 4 are missing in all three specimens but are present on segment 5. On segment 8, laterodorsal short acicular spines are present in two specimens and missing in one.

Distribution

Antarctic Peninsula: open continental shelf, Gerlache Strait, and Andvord Bay IBB, 551 to 694 m b.s.l. See Fig. 1 for geographic overview of stations and Table 1 for station and specimen information.

Figures

Fig. 1. Map showing the sampling stations. A. Overview of Antarctica, with the Antarctic Peninsula framed. Previous records of Polacanthoderes martinezi Sørensen, 2008 (green dots) and P. shiraseae Yamasaki et al., 2022 (red dots) are marked. B. Antarctic Peninsula with sampling area framed. C. Sampling area with station numbers and stations indicated as yellow dots. Study sites in Andvord Bay refer to OBA – Outer Basin A; MBA – Middle Basin A; IBB – Inner Basin B. Only stations yielding adult kinorhynch specimens are included.