Recent shallow marine Ostracoda of the Ikerssuak (Bredefjord) District, Southwest Greenland

Abstract. From a study of 15 grab samples collected from the littoral and sublittoral of the Ikerssuak (Bredefjord) district, SW Greenland, one myodocopid and 18 podocopid ostracod species were recovered. These constitute an indigenous fauna and the majority have been recorded from Greenland before. Leptocythere castanea and Leptocythere lacertosa are new to Greenland, and have not previously been confirmed from the western Atlantic. Copulating pairs of Hemicythere borealis were found in an intertidal embayment near the town of Narssaq. This species reproduced just before the late summer-autumn maximum of primary production in the area, and at the warmest time of the year. Semicytherura nigrescens, which has been recorded previously in SW Greenland, may have a similar distribution pattern to certain Subarctic Mollusca in western Greenland.