This paper presents new records of stenothoids from the Scotia Arc (West Antarctic). Altogether twenty species were recorded, two of which are reported in the West Antarctic for the first time. In addition, two species are here recorded for the first time since their description. New data on distribution are supplemented by taxonomical remarks on the collected species.

The paper presents a list of over 100 amphipod taxa hitherto recorded in the Admiralty Bay, South Shetlands (Tab. 1). In Tab. 2 the distributional patterns of Amphipoda in upper and middle sublittoral (depth 5-150 m) of the Admiralty Bay are given. Notes on the taxonomy of some taxa are presented.

A large sample of more than 1500 individuals of scavenging Amphipoda from fur seal carcass was studied. Six species have been identified. The two most abundant species, Abyssorchomene plebs and Waldeckia obesa, are sublittoral, necrophagous amphipods that could attack the carcass when submerged in the sea. After stranding on the beach they became an attractive food source for birds eating not only the seal tissues but also the scavenging amphipods. The species composition of the present sample as well as earlier data on Antarctic tern stomach content and baited traps taken in the same area and at the same time agreed quite well. These observations confirm the expectation that Antarctic tern feeds on necrophagous amphipods picked out from carcasses stranding on the sea shore.

In total, 8511 amphipods of 12 species caught in Admiralty Bay were examined for the presence of acanthocephalans using them as intermediate hosts. Only 27 specimens of eight species were infected (total prevalence 0.32%). Acanthellae and cystacanths of four species using fishes as either definitive or paratenic hosts were found. Normally, single parasites occurred; in one case two acanthocephalans were present in one specimen of Bovallia gigantea. This host species was the most strongly infected, with the prevalence 3.41%. Six other amphipod species were infected with the prevalence 0.08-0.66%. One of two Jassa ingens examined was also infected. Over 50% of acanthocephalans belonged to one echinorhynchid species maturing in fishes, Aspersentis megarhynchus, which occurred in five host species of four amphipod families, B. gigantea, Gondogeneia antarctica, J. ingens, Hippomedon kergueleni and Orchomenella rotundi-frons. Two polymorphid species maturing in seals, Corynosoma hamanni and C. pseudohamanni, were found in a single host species each, Prostebbingia brevicornis and Cheirimedon femoratus, respectively. Three parasite species mentioned occurred exclusively in sublittoral host species, at the depth 0-30 m. The third polymorphid species, C. bullosum, was the only species occurring in the amphipod, Waldeckia obesa, living in the deeper water (infected specimen was caught at the depth 60 m), but was found also in B. gigantea. Differences between infections of Amphipoda and fishes with echinorhynchids and polymorphids are discussed.

In 1920 qualitative and quantitative benthos samples collected in Barents Sea sublittoral in the years 1951-1983 154 species, 77 genera and 30 families of Amphipoda Gammaridea were identified. Species diversity was highest among the Lysianassidae, Oedicerotidae, Ampcliscidae, Calliopiidae and Pleustidae. Ampelisca eschrichti clearly dominated the material. This same species, plus Haploops setosa and Anonyx nugax were both the most frequently occurring and most numerous species. The distribution of amphipods in the Barents Sea sublittoral varies both in diversity and numbers by region, depth, sediments and water temperature. Zoogeographical changes are discussed in the present paper. Altogether 331 species of amphipods have been hitherto collected in the Barents Sea, of which 317 species, 126 genera and 39 families belong to the suborder Gammaridea.

Information is presented concerning amphipod crustaceans eaten by three penguin species breeding on King George Island: Pygoscelis adeliae, P. antarctica and P. papua. In their stomachs 10 gammaridean and 3 hyperiidean amphipod species were found. The most abundant species was Parathemisto gaudichaudii. Noteworthy are the records of recently described and still poorly known species: Eusirus propeperdentatus and Eusirus cf. tridentatus. Some 15% of all amphipod specimens found in penguin stomachs were benthic species that are very common in the Antarctic littoral and which probably swarm.

226 taxa (180 identified to species) of benthic invertebrates are recorded from Admiralty Bay on the basis of the material collected by Polish Antarctic Expeditions. Main groups concerned are Folychaeta, Mollusca, Amphipoda and Echinodermata. For each species the bathymetric range, the frequency, the abundance and the geographical distribution are given.