ANIMAL LIFE OF THE DEEP SEA BOTTOM 



189 



all the approximately 220 species — about 70 species. There were notably 

 many amphipods and tanaids, mostly rather small, but also the large 

 blind lobsters (Polycheles) (Fig. p. 191) and their remarkable early stages 

 (Eryoneicus) , besides the large white squat lobsters (Munidopsis) (Fig. 

 p. 192) and reddish hermit crabs with various sea-anemones on their 

 shells. But the species vary according to depth, and so far only one of the 

 70 has been found to range right from 2,500 metres down to 7,000 

 metres. Similarly with the echinoderms, of which there were 43 species, 

 only four of these being so little dependent on depth or pressure as the 

 one crustacean. 



Here we must pause to say a few words about the strange sea-cucum- 

 ber Elpidia glacialis, which we had found in the Sunda Trench and 

 again in the New Britain Trench. We now got it again; and Mr. Bent 

 Hansen is still of the opinion that the specimens from these remote 

 trenches belong to the same species as the individuals caught at depths 

 ranging from 70 to 2,814 metres in the Arctic, having compared them 

 after our return with specimens caught there by the Ingolf and Godt- 

 haab expeditions. 



Since the expedition, Mr. Jorgen Kirkegaard has studied all the bristle- 

 worms taken by us at depths beyond 6,000 metres — in all the tren- 

 ches which we explored — and in doing so has made many surpris- 

 ing discoveries. Only 1 1 hadal species were previously known, but he 

 has classified our material into 2 1 species and of these three were new 

 to science. Consequently, we can already say something about their di- 

 stribution, and it is certain that much more will come to light when the 

 rest of the rich material from depths above 6,000 metres has been studied. 

 It has been related how in the Kermadec Trench alone we took 12 

 species, four of which we had already found in one of the other trenches. 

 It is clear from this that, despite the tremendous distances between the 



Blind, semi-transparent brotulid fish from 4,410 metres. Natural size. North-east of 

 New Zealand. 



