The shallow-water Asellota (Crustacea : Isopoda) from the Beagle Channel: Preliminary taxonomic and zoogeographical resudts

The shallow-water Asellota from the Beagle Channel were investigated, based on material collected at four localities in 2001-2002. A total of 3,124 asellotes were sorted, and three new species and 12 new records of distribution were reported. The Paramunnidae showed the highest species diversity and abundance (I I species and 1,463 specimens). The present research raises the number of species known from the Beagle Channel to 23; of these, 16 were previously reported from the Magellan Straits, representing 69\% of similarity. Based on the present results and published data, the faunistic affinities for the shallow-water Asellota was 30\% between the Magellan region and the Scotia Arc, and 26\% between the Magellan region and the Antarctic Peninsula.