Table 2.

A comparison of gastropod species richness at two benthic sites, one polar (South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean: Picken 1980) and one tropical (Koumac, New Caledonia: Bouchet et al. 2002). n(ind.), number of individuals sampled; SR, species richness; n(1), number of species represented by a single individual only; n.d., no data available. Note that in New Caledonia, 401 molluscan species were sampled only as empty shells.

location	group	n(ind.)	SR	n(1)
New Caledonia	molluscsa	127 652	2738	542
	gastropoda	81 558	2187	n.d.
	shelled gastropods	76 343	1929	n.d.
Signy	shelled gastropods	138 650	31	2

^aExcluding cephalopods.