Observations on the life position and size of the large foraminiferAstrorhiza arenariaNorman, 1876 from the shelf off Northern Norway

A vertical life position for Astrorhiza arenaria in the sediment surface is suggested from a study of box cores and bottom photographs from the southern Barents Sea. The specimens recovered include the largest ever reported, measuring approximately 3 cm in maximum dimension. The position and distribution of live specImens suggest that this species is a suspension feeder. The vertical distribution of A. arenaria in the box cores demonstrates the fact that important faunal elements may not appear in the fossil record.