Fourty-nine species of Pycnogonida (and six unidentifiable forms) are recorded from the continental slope (200-3740 m) in the Western Pacific off New Caledonia, the Loyalty and Chesterfield Islands, and in the Lau Basin; only six samples originate from the continental shelf (40-73 m). Of these 49 species, not less than 33 (67 %) are new to Science. The new species belong to the genera Ascorhynchus (3 spp.), Ammothella (1 sp.), Heterofragilia (1 sp.), Cilunculus (4 spp.), Proboehmia gen. nov. (1 sp.), Sericosura (1 sp.), Rhopalorhynchus (1 sp.), Colossendeis (1 sp.), Hedgpelhia (1 sp.), Austrodecus (5 spp., of which 4 attributed to a new subgenus, Tubidecus), Nymphon (4 spp.), Seguapallene (1 sp.), Parapallene (1 sp.), Pallenopsis s. str. (1 sp.), Pallenopsis (Bathypallenopsis) (1 sp.), Phoxichilidium (2 spp.). Anoplodactylus (1 sp.), and Pycnogonum (3 spp.). The richness in new species is explained by the fact that the bathyal zone around New Caledonia was unexplored so far for Pycnogonida. |