Abundance records of the five most abundant brittle star species (Ophiuroidea) from trawl, grab and trap samples in the Weddell Sea and neighbouring seas during POLARSTERN cruises ANT-I/2, ANT-II/4, ANT-V/3-4, ANT-VI/3, ANT-IX/3 and ANT-X/3

The dataset comprises a total of 540 records of abundance of Astrotoma agassizii Lyman, 1875, Ophionotus victoriae (Bell, 1902), Ophioplinthus brevirima (Mortensen, 1936), Ophioplinthus gelida (Koehler, 1901) and Ophioplocus incipiens (Koehler, 1922) from 106 trawl samples (Agassiz trawl, bottom trawl, dredge) and two others (multi-box corer, weir basket). The dataset was collected on the shelf and slope of the Antarctic Weddell Sea and Lazarev Sea (depth range: 130 - 970 m) during "Polarstern" cruises ANT I/2 (1983), ANT II/4 (1983/84), ANT V/3 and 4 (1986/87), ANT VI/3 (1987/88), ANT IX/3 (1990/91) and ANT X/3 (1992).