New species of benthopelagic hydromedusae from the Weddell Sea

Four medusa species were collected by an epibenthic sledge during the "Pola rstern" ANT XV/3 cruise carried out from January to March 1998 in the easte rn Weddell Sea. The specimens were collected in the benthic boundary layer at depths ranging between 1,583 and 2,034 m; 2 of the species collected are new to science. The narcomedusa Sigiweddellia bathypelagica gen. nov. et s p. nov. is characterised by two types of marginal tentacles and closed marg inal statocysts. The trachymedusa Voragonema laciniata sp. nov. (known only from the single holotype) is characterised by the number and irregular sha pe of the centripetal canals. These findings are the first to report bentho pelagic hydromedusae in deep Antarctic waters. Examination of several speci mens of Benthocodon pedunculata (Bigelow 1913) leads us to move it to the g enus Voragonema Naumov 1971 because of the clear presence of centripetal ex pansions in the ring canal.