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CHAPTER VII 



THE ARTHROPODA OF THE DEEP SEA 



THE deep-sea fauna seems to be particularly rich 

 in marine Arthropoda, many curious and interesting 

 forms being brought up with almost every haul of 

 the dredge. The Arthropoda, too, being very highly 

 organised animals, afford interesting and instruc- 

 tive examples of the effect of abysmal life in the 

 modification of the sense organs and the production 

 of varieties specially modified for the conditions of 

 the struggle for existence in their strange habitat. 



Concerning the groups of Ostracoda and Copepoda 

 it may be said that the evidence is not yet conclusive 

 that they include any truly deep-sea species. The 

 largest known Ostracod, measuring somewhat more 

 than an inch in length and probably allied to the 

 genus Crossophorus, has quite recently been captured 

 by Professor Agassiz at depths of less than 200 

 fathoms, but he could obtain no evidence that it 

 descended into much deeper water than this. 



