A glimpse into the deep of the Antarctic Polar Front – Diversity and abundance of abyssal molluscs

Our knowledge of the biodiversity and distribution patterns of benthic deep-sea faunas is still limited, with large parts of the world׳s abyss unexplored, lacking α-taxonomic data across oceans basins and especially of biogeographic transition zones between oceans. The Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone has been discussed as major biogeographic barrier hindering faunal exchange between Subantarctic and Antarctic provinces and conserving high rates of endemism in the Southern Ocean benthos. In the present study we report first, exploratory α-taxonomy on the malacofauna sampled by means of an epibenthic sledge from four bathyal respectively abyssal stations (2732–4327 m depth) in the vicinity of the Antarctic Polar Front during the SYSTCO II expedition (SYSTem COupling in the Southern Ocean, RV Polarstern cruise ANT XXVIII/3). We identified 58 distinct molluscan taxa based on external morphology (‘morphospecies’); of the 33 taxa successfully assigned to described species 94% were previously reported from the Southern Ocean, but 24% exhibit distribution ranges crossing the Polar Front. One North Atlantic scaphopod is reported for the first time in Antarctic waters. Our study supports that the Antarctic Polar Front does not serve as effective barrier preventing gene flow in deep-sea molluscs. The present dataset shows the general characteristics of deep-sea sampling: patchiness in distribution and a high degree of singletons. Overall molluscan abundances were generally low ranging between 3.60 and 24.65 ind./1000 m², but in comparison with equatorial and subtropic abyssal basins, gastropod species richness and abundance were reaching high values similar to high Antarctic stations. Comparison between high productivity and low productivity zones along the Polar Front suggests increased abundances and species richness in high productivity zones. Intensified sampling is needed, however, to outweigh stochastic errors and to evaluate the influence of carbon flux as driving factor to faunal composition and abundances of abyssal molluscs.