BIOGEOGRAPHY AND POLYCHAETE ASSEMBLAGES FROM SUB-ANTARCTIC ISLANDS (INDIAN-OCEAN) - MARION DUFRESNE MD 08 BENTHOS EXPEDITION TO MARION, PRINCE-EDWARD AND CROZET-ISLANDS

During the MD/08 Benthos Expedition (from 7 March to 26 April 1976) about 7,000 polychaetous annelids were collected from 70 stations from Marion, Prince Edward Islands and Crozet Islands. A cluster analysis was used to define benthic polychaete taxocoenoses with a matrix data of 77 species and 55 samples. Six polychaete assemblages were found in which two were original: an assemblage occurring in shallow water and black sand with Pseudonereis anomala, Leitoscoloplos fragilis and Travisia kerguelensis and a second group in deeper water and hard bottom with Polyeunoa laevis the dominant species. These polychaete assemblages occurred on the continental shelves of Marion, Prince Edward and Crozet Islands, and were discussed in relation to their biogeography and compared with the fauna of South Africa and the Kerguelen Islands.