A new species of Halcampella (Actiniaria : Halcampoididae) from the eastern Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

A new species of soft-bottom-dwelling sea anemone of the genus Halcampella is described and illustrated based on 47 specimens collected during the Polarstern cruises ANT XV/3 and ANT XVII/3 to the Antarctic Peninsula and the eastern Weddell Sea. The new Halcampella species is easily distinguishable from its congeners by the number of cycles of mesenteries and tentacles, the cnidae and the geographic distribution. The new species is described and compared to the available type material of the other species of the genus and new cnidae data are given for H. maxima Hertwig, 1888 and H. robusta Carlgren, 1931. According to other authors H. endromitata (Andres, 1881) is considered a nomen dubium and H. maxima is here proposed as the types species of the genus.