Twenty-six species of podocopid ostracods are present in a high Antarctic fauna obtained from Halley Bay. Diagnoses are given of the two new genera
Antarcticythere and
Myrena, and the new species
Cativella bensoni,
Loxocythere frigida and
Robertsonites antarcticus are described. Comparisons are made with other faunas described from the Antarctic.
As in other high Antarctic faunas, the species
Antarcticythere laevior,
Myrena meridionalis,
Cytheropteron gaussi,
Xestoleberis rigusa,
Cativella bensoni,
Robertsonites antarcticus and
Australicythere
polylyca are characteristic species. In
Pseudocythere caudata, and southern forms which cannot be satisfactorily differentiated from this species, size is shown to increase with latitude. It is suggested that the distribution of this fauna is controlled by temperature in conjunction with the East Wind Drift, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Scotia Ridge preventing its spread towards South America.