Introduction

The pycnogonid fauna of New Zealand is not well known, and as there are no records of these animals from the Cook Strait region the present paper contributes a little to our knowledge. Through the kindness of Professor L. R. Richardson a small, but interesting collection of Pycnogonida, mostly from deep water, has been made available to the author.

It is perhaps remarkable that the five species represented in the collection should be referable to two genera, and that other forms generally considered to be characteristic of deep water should be absent. It may be that these forms will turn up later, as Fage (1956b) has recorded five species of Colossendeis, typically a deep water genus, from other deep water localities off the Now Zealand coast.

The following species are recorded here: —

• Nymphon longicoxa Hoek
• Nymphon maoriana n.sp.
• Pallenopsis obliqua (Thomson)
• Pallenopsis mauii n.sp.
• Pallenopsis sp.
• The types of new species are deposited in the Dominion Museum, Wellington.