Distributional records of Ross Sea (Antarctica) Tanaidacea from museum samples stored in the collections of the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA) and the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)

Here we present distributional records for Tanaidacea specimens collected during several Antarctic expeditions to the Ross Sea: the Italian PNRA expeditions (“V”, 1989/1990; “XI”, 1995/1996; “XIV”, 1998/1999; “XIX”, 2003/2004; “XXV”, 2009/2010) and the New Zealand historical (New Zealand Oceanographic Institute, NZOI, 1958-1961) and recent (“TAN0402 BIOROSS” voyage, 2004 and “TAN0802 IPY-CAML Oceans Survey 20/20” voyage, 2008) expeditions. Tanaidaceans were obtained from bottom samples collected at depths ranging from 16 to 3543 m by using a variety of sampling gears. On the whole, this contribution reports distributional data for a total of 2953 individuals belonging to 33 genera and 50 species. All vouchers are permanently stored in the Italian National Antarctic Museum collection (MNA), Section of Genoa (Italy) and at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA Invertebrate Collection), Wellington (New Zealand). The tanaidaceans were collected during different Italian and New Zealand research expeditions to the Ross Sea funded by the Italian National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) and the New Zealand Government, the Ministry for Primary Industries (formerly the Ministry of Fisheries) and the Ocean Survey 20/20 CAML Advisory Group, listed below: Italian PNRA Project 3.2.1 (Oceanography) (“V” expedition, 1989/1990, R/V “Malippo”). Italian PNRA Project 2a and 2d.2 (Ecology and Biogeochemistry of the Southern Ocean) (“XI” expedition, 1995/1996, R/V “Italica”). Italian PNRA Project 2b.3 (Ecology and Biogeochemistry of the Southern Ocean) (“XIV” expedition, 1998/1999, R/V “Malippo”). Italian PNRA Project Program 2002/8.6 (“The costal ecosystem of Victoria Land coast: distribution and structure along the latitudinal gradient”) (“XIX” expedition, 2003/2004, R/V “Italica” 2004). Italian PNRA Project 2006/08.01 (“The coastal ecosystem of Terra Nova Bay” in the Latitudinal Gradient Program (LGP)) (“XXV” expedition, 2009/2010). The Ross Sea Endeavour surveys (1958-59 and 1959-60, HMNZS “Endeavour II” and 1960–1961, “Endeavour III”) conducted by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute (NZOI, now NIWA) – founded by the New Zealand government. New Zealand BIOROSS voyage (TAN0402, 2004, R/V “Tangaroa”) – funded by NIWA and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries (formerly the Ministry of Fisheries). New Zealand IPY-CAML voyage (TAN0802, 2008, R/V “Tangaroa”) – Census of Antarctic Marine Life programme – funded by the Government of New Zealand and administered by the Ocean Survey 20/20 CAML Advisor Group (Land Information New Zealand and the Ministry of Fisheries, Antarctica New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and NIWA). We would like to acknowledge the Italian National Antarctic Program (PNRA) for funding and logistic support of the scientific expeditions. The TAN0402 BIOROSS” voyage (2004) was undertaken by the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research and financed by the former New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries. The “TAN0802 IPY-CAML Oceans Survey 20/20” voyage (2008) was funded by the New Zealand Government under the New Zealand International Polar Year Census of Antarctic Marine Life Project. We gratefully acknowledge project governance provided by the Ministry of Fisheries Science Team and the Ocean Survey 20/20 CAML Advisory Group (Land Information New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries (Fisheries), Antarctica New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research).