Deep-Water Sipuncula from the Gulf of Gascogne

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Abstract
An intensive study of the benthos at six deep-water stations in the Gulf of Gascogne was undertaken by the Centre Océanologique de Bretagne, Brest (during 1972–4) (Laubier & Sibuet, 1977, fig. 1). These stations were repeatedly sampled with a variety of gear during seven different ‘Biogas’ cruises, and over 1900 sipunculans belonging to 16 species including one new to science were collected. Table 1 lists these species and their abundance at the six stations. Specific station data on the samples can be obtained from the authors.The ubiquitous nature of sipunculans is well documented by this work. Of the 72 dredge hawls made, 86% contained sipunculans, while 80% of the 54 trawl collections yielded sipunculans. Sample CP 01 with 165 sipunculans belonging to five species was the richest collection. The efficiency of the collecting gear and richness of the fauna is indicated by the fact that 24% of the individual collections yielded four or five species while 12% yielded 6–9 species, compared with the usual 1–3 species often collected. At Sample DS 62 a single haul yielded nine out of the 12 species at Station 1.The following section contains brief comments on the species and their distribution. Full descriptions of these species and additional references can be found in Stephen & Edmonds (1972) and Cutler (1973). The subgenera of Golfingta follow Cutler & Murina (1977) and Cutler (1979).

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