New records on benthic invertebrates from deep waters of the Caspian Sea

Twenty two species of benthic organisms have been found in the samples collected in the Caspian Sea profundal and pseudoabyssal during the French-Russian Expedition ''Mission Caspienne 94''. The endemic deep water complex included three species of Crustacea, Paracyprideis naphtatscholana (Ostracoda) as a recent form being observed for the first time. Invertebrates with wide vertical distribution were represented by two Polychaeta species, 1 Arachnoidea species, two Insecta and 11 Crustacea ones. Descriptions of all mesobenthic species Manayunkia caspica (Polychaeta), Oecetis intima (Trichoptera), Caspiahalacarus hyrcanus (Acariformes), Daptonema tenuispiculum (Nematoda) from profundal as well as nine species of Ostracoda, represented the eurybathic complex, have been given for the first time. Three species of ostracods (Amnicythere gracilloides, A. pediformis, Loxoconcha umbonata) have been found for the first time in profundal of the Caspian Sea, the remains of the rest species were revealed using micropalaentologic methods.