126 BIOLOGY OF THE SEAS OF THE U.S.S.R. 



' The general picture of the Kola Inlet obtained from topographical, hydro- 

 graphic and geological surveys, is very much of the same type as that obtained 

 for the neighbouring Norwegian fjords ', writes Derjugin. ' The side parts of the 

 main fjord are usually connected with the main straits, cut through the ancient 

 moraines. There is always a main deep channel with an ooze bed, with ravines 

 or shores at its sides ; the side pans are determined by submarine barriers.' 



K. Derjugin has distinguished five main biotopes (facies) in the Kola Inlet 

 sublittoral, namely cliffs and rocks, sand, shell, ooze and the branching 

 Lithothamnion. The most luxuriant sublittoral fauna is adapted to the lower 

 horizons (below 60 to 70 m). In the upper horizons abundant and varied 

 fauna is found only in the weed bed of the branching Lithothamnion and in 

 the silty sand and mud at shallow depths. 



As for the cliff and rock facies in the lower horizons of the sublittoral, there 

 is a luxuriant group of sponges, hydroids and acidian Ascidia obliqua on the 

 cliffs and a rich fauna on the rocks and pebbles. 



The Porifera and hydroids biocoenoses (mainly at a depth of 90 to 180 m) 

 are first of all characterized by various representatives of Spongia, including 

 Geodia baretti, Stryhhanus fortis, Polymastia puberrima, Tethya lyncurium, 

 Tentorium semisuberites, Phavellia bowerbanki and others. Then follow the 

 numerous hydroids : Lafosea gracillima, L.grandis, L. f mucosa, Diphasia abie- 

 tina, D. fallax, Grammaria abietina, Thuiaria lonchitis, Halecium polytheca 

 and others. As for bryozoans, they include: Pseudoflustra hincksi, Smittia 

 minuscula, Crisia eburneo-denticulata, Cr. arctica, Cellepora nodulosa, Cel. 

 nordgaardi, Cel. ventricosa, Retepora cellulosa, R. elongata, Menipea tornata v. 

 gracilis, Caberea ellisi, Bugula murmanica, Hornera lichenoides, Flustra mem- 

 branaceo-truncata, Idmonea atlantica, and others. The four species of brachio- 

 pods known in the Barents Sea are found therein large numbers : Rhychonella 

 psittacea, Terebratulina caput serpentis, Terebratella spitzbergensis, Waldheimia 

 cranium; echinoderms are represented most abundantly by Heliometra 

 quadrata, Ophiocantha bidentata and Gorgonocephalus eucnemis, while the 

 crustaceans include Pandalus borealis and Hippolyte polaris, and the pycno- 

 gonids : Chaetonymphon spinosum, Nymphon stromi and Pycnogonum littorale. 

 The polychaetes, molluscs and salps are only poorly represented. 



In the Phallusia obliqua community (mostly at 60 to 100 m) besides the mass 

 swarmings of ascidians {Asc. obliqua as well as Asc. prunum, Pyura arctica, 

 Tethium loveni, Amaroucium mutabile and others) a multitude of Porifera is 

 found, mainly Grantia arctica, Gr. pennigera, Tethya lyncurium, and some 

 species of Leucosolenia (L. nanseni, L. coriacea, L. blanca and others). The 

 various bryozoans are represented most abundantly (mainly the genera 

 Flustra, Bugula, Caberea, Defrancia, Porella). Among the hydroids stand out 

 Tubularia larynx, of the polychaetes Glycera capitata, Nereis pelagica, Thele- 

 pus cincinnatus, Leodice norvegica, Syllis fabricii, S. armillaris, Nephthys 

 ciliata and others ; among the Gephyrea, Phascolosoma margaritaceum, Ph. 

 eremita and Phascolium strombi, the echinoderms Asterias rubens, Cribrella 

 sanguinolenta, Ophipholis aculeata, Ophiocantha bidentata, Ophiura sarsi and 

 others. The crustaceans are represented by Pandalus borealis, some species of 

 Spirontocaris and some other Decapoda. The molluscs are also varied and 



