Stable isotope ratios of C, N and S in Southern Ocean sea stars (1985-2017)

Sea stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) are a key component of Southern Ocean benthos, with 16% of the known sea star species living there. In temperate marine environments, sea stars commonly play an important role in food webs, acting as keystone species. However, trophic ecology and functional role of Southern Ocean sea stars are still poorly known, notably due to the scarcity of large-scale studies. Here, we report 24332 trophic marker (stable isotopes and elemental contents of C, N and S of tegument and/or tube feet) and biometric (arm length, disk radius, arm to disk ratio) measurements in 2456 specimens of sea stars. Samples were collected between 12/01/1985 and 08/10/2017 in numerous locations along the Antarctic littoral and Subantarctic islands. The spatial scope of the dataset covers a significant portion of the Southern Ocean (Latitude: 47.717° South to 86.273° South ; longitude: 127.767° West to 162.201° East ; depth: 6 to 5338 m). The dataset contains 133 distinct taxa, including 72 currently accepted species spanning 51 genera, 20 families and multiple feeding guilds / functional groups (suspension feeders, sediment feeders, omnivores, predators of mobile or sessile prey). For 505 specimens, mitochondrial CO1 genes were sequenced to confirm and/or refine taxonomic identifications, and those sequences are already publicly available through the Barcode of Life Data System. This number will grow in the future, as molecular analyses are still in progress. Overall, thanks to its large taxonomic, spatial, and temporal extent, as well as its integrative nature (combining genetic, morphological and ecological data), this dataset can be of wide interest to Southern Ocean ecologists, invertebrate zoologists, benthic ecologists, and environmental managers dealing with associated areas.海星（Echinodermata: Asteroidea，棘皮动物门：海星纲）是南大洋底栖生物的关键组成类群，已知海星物种中有16%栖息于该海域。在温带海洋环境中，海星通常在食物网中扮演重要角色，作为关键物种发挥核心调控作用。然而，南大洋海星的营养生态学特征与功能地位仍有待深入研究，目前相关认知匮乏，这在很大程度上源于大规模研究的稀缺。本研究共记录了2456号海星标本的24332项营养标志物与生物测量数据：其中营养标志物包括被膜与/或管足的稳定同位素及碳（C）、氮（N）、硫（S）元素含量，生物测量则涵盖腕长、盘半径及腕盘比。样本采集于1985年12月1日至2017年8月10日期间，采自南极沿岸及亚南极岛屿的多个采样点位。本数据集的空间覆盖范围涵盖南大洋大片海域，具体参数为：纬度南纬47.717°至86.273°，经度西经127.767°至东经162.201°，采样水深6米至5338米。数据集共包含133个分类单元，涵盖隶属于51个属、20个科的72个当前公认物种，以及多个营养功能群/功能类群，包括悬浮食性者、沉积食性者、杂食者、移动或固着猎物捕食者。其中505号标本的线粒体CO1基因已完成测序，用于确认或优化分类鉴定结果，相关序列已通过生命条形码数据系统（Barcode of Life Data System）公开。随着分子分析工作持续推进，未来该数据集的样本量还将进一步扩充。总体而言，凭借其广泛的分类、空间与时间覆盖范围，以及整合遗传、形态与生态数据的综合特性，本数据集可为南大洋生态学家、无脊椎动物学家、底栖生态学家以及负责相关海域管理的环境管理者提供广泛的研究参考价值。