New Genera and Species of New Zealand Marine Ostracoda of the Families Punciidae New Family and Cytheridae and Their Distribution

Abstract

The Recent marine ostracod fauna consists of over two hundred species. Sixty species are described, most of which are distributed from North Cape at least as far south as Foveaux Strait. There is a large subtropical element confined to the far north and a small subantarctic element about Foveaux Strait and the Auckland Islands. Most species are distributed between ten and one hundred (plus) fathoms while there seem to be few markedly stenobathic species within that range. The end of the Cretaceous saw the extinction of at least five genera and in the Eocene there was an invasion of new lines such as Bythoceratina, Hemicytherura, Cytheralison, Cytherura, Cytheridea, Saida, Loxoconcha which formed the basis from which a large part of the living fauna has originated, A new family, the Punciidae, is proposed to contain two new (monotypic) genera, Puncia and Manawa, with close resemblances to some Palaeozoic Beyrichiidae. Fifty eight species of Cytheridae are described of which fifty five are new. Five new Cytherid genera are proposed, Bythoceratina, Loxocythere, Saida, Cytheralison, Miracythere. Aversovalva is proposed as a new subgenus of Cytheropteron. Hemicytherura Elofson, 1941 is raised from subgeneric to generic rank and Trachyleberis Brady, 1898 is treated as a subgenus of Cythereis. The appendages are described of Cythereis brunnea (Brady), Loxoconcha punctata Thomson and of three new species, Leptocythere taniwha, Paradoxostoma siren, P. scapha.