New Seabed Animals Found At Balleny Is.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 15

New Seabed Animals Found At Balleny Is.

A starfish with 64 arms was brought up from the seabed off the Balleny Islands during the recent visit of the U.S.S. Glacier, Mr E. W. Dawson, of the Oceanographic Institute, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, said on his return.

Mr Dawson was in charge of dredging and trawling operations in connexion with the D.S.I.R.*s survey, made from the Glacier, to assess the prospects for a full-eeale New Zealand scientific expedition to the islands. “I have never seen so many arms on a starfish before, nor do I remember seeing one so described,” said Mr Dawson. No previous information had been available on seabottom life in the area, he added. There were much greater numbers of individuals than expected, but the number of groups was limited. Starfish, brittle-stars, and soft corals formed the dominant groups, with many species within each group. Narrow Shelf

In general, the fauna had much greater resemblance to that of the Ross Sea area than the sub-Antarctic islands. Several species were common to the Ross Sea and to the Ballenys, although there were also many previously undescribed species. Some small brittle-stars had affinities to brittle-star species from the Macquarie Island area. The shelf on which dredging operations could be carried out proved to be very narrow—not more than a mile wide. Only the shelf on the eastern side of the. group was dredged, but echo-soundings showed that conditions on the west side were fairly similar. On both sides, the seabed plunged down steeply to about 500 fathoms from the edge of the shelf at about 200 fathoms.

To the north and south was the Macquarie Ridge which, although not yet completely traced, appears to link New Zealand with Antarctica. Spare Dredges

An unexpected feature was the very dark, greasy-feeling mud which covered the bottom at each of the seven points where samples were taken. Mr Dawson expected a rocky bottom with many pinnacles, such as is found round Macquarie Island. “I took plenty of spare

dredges in anticipation of trouble, but did not lose one," he said.

There were very few shellfish, and no crabs or other crustaceae, but a “surprising” number of fish. Many of the fish were notothenhds (black cod) similar to those of the sub-Antarctic islands. Mr Dawson did not think these held out any commercial prospects, however. The biggest were 12in to 15in long, and the more northerly notothenids were said not to be very good eating. New Project Mr R. J. Singleton, also of the Oceanographic Institute, who accompanied Mr Dawson, took sea-water samples from around the Antarctic Circle in connexion with a new project to study marine bacteria. He and other members of the institute will collect sea-water frona other tones as opportunity offers.