Mediterranean and Antarctic Pyconogonida

The Pycnogonida is a poorly known class of marine arthropods which can be included in entomology’s studies (in the broad sense). My research project is aimed in increasing knowledges about Mediterranean and Antarctic Pycnogonida. There are 56 species known in the Mediterranean Sea, while in the Italian seas 45 species are recorded. Generally, there are few information about Pycnogonid fauna of Italian waters: the most specific studies on this theme were all focused on South-Central and Southern Italy and other data come from sporadic collections from 1940 to 2000. In addition, an annual study has been conducted by our research team to deepen knowledges about biodiversity of this taxonomical group in the Ligurian Sea, especially near Portofino. Some data on specimens collected in this area (mainly in the Portofino shallow waters and on a Posidonia oceanica prairie near Santa Margherita Ligure) and in Tyrrhenian Sea (especially near Torrevaldaliga, Civitavecchia, RM) are reported. Moreover, they allowed us to record the presence of a species not still known in the Mediterranean fauna: Endeis biseriata Stock, 1968. Other research lines concern the analysis of specimens stored in Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide (MNA) in Genoa, Italy: this work will focus on the morphological and genetic features of such specimens and on their identification (when possible) to the species level.