Brachiopoda from the Gulf of Gascogne, France (Recent)

Abstract

Brachiopods collected during the operations of Biogas and Polygas, Gulf of Gascogne Abyssal Survey, and Thalassa, Gulf of Gascogne Bathyal Survey of the Centre Océanologique de Bretagne, are recorded and data concerning them noted. Most of the specimens taken in Biogas and Polygas are from depths ranging from 1010 meters to 4459 meters. The specimens taken by Thalassa are mostly from waters less than 1000 meters in depth. Twenty-one species in 14 genera are recognized, six of them, including a new species, hitherto not recorded from the Gulf of Gascogne, are starred: *<i>Pelagodiscus atlanticus</i> (King), <i>Crania anomala</i> (Müller), <i>C. anomala turbinata</i> (Poli), *<i>Cryptopora gnomon</i> Jeffreys, <i>Hispanirhynchia cornea</i> (Fischer), <i>Eucalathis ergastica</i> Fischer and Oehlert, <i>E. tuberata</i> (Jeffreys), <i>Terebratulina retusa</i> (Linné), <i>T. retusa emarginata</i> (Risso), <i>Gryphus vitreus</i> (Born), *<i>G.</i>? <i> cooperi</i> d'Hondt, <i>Dallithyris</i>? aff. <i>D.</i>? <i> sphenoidea</i> (Jeffreys), <i>Platidia anomioides</i> (Scacchi and Philippi), <i>Megerlia truncata</i> (Linné), <i>M. echinata</i> (Fischer and Oehlert), <i>Pantellaria monstruosa</i> (Scacchi), <i>Macandrevia cranium</i> (Müller), *<i>M. novangliae</i> Dall, *<i>Fallax dalliniformis Atkins, Dallina septigera</i> (Lovén), and *<i>D. parva</i>, new species. Five described species not previously recorded from the Gulf of Gascogne are: <i>Pelagodiscus atlanticus</i> (King), a world-wide abyssal form; <i>Cryptopora gnomon</i> (Jeffreys), widespread in the northern Atlantic; <i>Macandrevia novangliae</i> Dall, hitherto only known from deep water off the coast of New England, United States; <i>Fallax dalliniformis</i> Atkins, newly discovered in the approaches to the English Channel; and <i>Gryphus</i>? <i> cooperi</i> d'Hondt recently described. The first four were taken in deep water in the Biogas operations; the fifth was taken by Thalassa. Specimens taken by Thalassa are mostly small or immature forms that are usually difficult to identify generically. Specimens of the rare genus <i>Eucalathis</i> appeared in several lots taken by Thalassa as well as the new species, <i>Dallina parva</i>. Not included in the above lists is a fossil brachiopod, dredged by Thalassa, that is assigned with a query to the Cretaceous genus <i>Meonia</i>.