AMPELISCIDAE (AMPHIPODA) FROM THE BAY-OF-BISCAY

Recent collections from the southern part of the Bay of Biscay furnish ed an interesting collection of Ampeliscidae. Eighteen species were id entified, among them 3 species new to science, Ampelisca parabyblisoid es, Ampelisca sorbei, and Haploops gascogni, and 3 species new for thi s area, Ampelisca declivitatis Mills, 1967, and Haploops similis Steph ensen, 1925, previously known from the northwestern Atlantic waters, a nd Ampelisca pusilla Sars, 1891, previously found on the coast of Norw ay. The presence of Ampelisca anomala Sars, 1883, in the Bay of Biscay was confirmed. We discuss here the geographical and bathymetric distr ibution of the Ampeliscidae from the Bay of Biscay, and their relation ships with the species from Atlantic shallow and deep-sea areas.