Rediscovery of Bathypsammis Huys & Gee, 1993 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Pseudotachidiidae) with description of a new species from the Antarctic deep sea

The species diversity of Copepoda Harpacticoida in the deep sea of the Angola Basin ( DIVA I expedition with RV Meteor) and in the Weddell Sea ( ANDEEP II expedition with RV Polarstern) have been investigated. From the obtained multicorer samples two female specimens of Bathypsammis Huys & Gee, 1993 were collected. The only specimen known before was described as Psammis longifurca by Bodin in 1968 from the northern Atlantic. In the present paper a new species Bathypsammis polaris sp. n. from the Antarctic Weddell Sea is described. The monophyly of Bathypsammis within the Paranannopinae Por, 1986 can be confirmed by several new autapomorphies whereas the relation to other paranannopid taxa must remain open for the moment. The new findings implicate a widespread distribution of Bathypsammis from the northern to the southern Atlantic and even to the southern polar regions. Up to now all individuals that have been found occur exclusively at deep-sea sites and in very low abundances.