A review of pygal-furrowed Synallactidae (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), with new species from the Antarctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Author
O'Loughlin, P. Mark
Author
Ahearn, Cynthia
text
Memoirs of Museum Victoria
2005
2005-12-31
62
2
147
179
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/collections-research/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/volume-62-issue-2-2005/pages-147-179/
journal article
10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.5
1447-2554
12208025
Molpadiodemas pediculus
sp. nov.
Figures 5h–k
,
8g
–h
Material examined
.
Holotype
.
South Atlantic Ocean
,
NE of South Sandwich Is
,
55°07'S
,
25°59'W
,
5435–5453 m
,
RV
Eltanin
,
Cr
8 stn 591,
29 Apr 1963
,
USNM 1008318
.
Paratypes
. Type locality and date,
NMV
F104796
(1).
Other material.
Scotia Sea
,
N of South
Orkney
I.,
2800 m
,
USNM
E48635
(1).
Description
. Up to
60 mm
long; body small, rounded in section, elongate, tapered anteriorly and posteriorly, lacking brim; body wall firm, semi-gelatinous, surface smooth, not covered with attachments; tube feet all over body, overlapping ventrolaterally, distinctly cylindrical, frequently erect, close cover, anteriorly and pygally, typically 1.0 mm long,
0.25 mm
diameter, up to
1.5 mm
long; tube feet typically shorter, more thread-like, dorsally and ventrally than ventrolaterally; longitudinal muscles broadly attached, relatively narrow, slightly thickened; some unbranched gonad tubules; ossicles in tentacles only, predominantly irregular, thick, rough to smooth, sometimes bluntly spinous rods, swollen mid-rod, tapering at ends, rare branches joined to create thick intertwining mesh, sometimes irregularly tuberous, up to 280 Μm long.
Colour
. Body, tube feet off-white to pale brown.
Etymology
. From the Latin
pediculus
(little foot), referring to the prominent ventrolateral band of small tube feet.
Distribution
. South Atlantic Ocean, off South Sandwich and South
Orkney
Is,
2800–5453 m
.
Remarks
. Amongst
Molpadiodemas
species
, the distinguishing characters are: body tapering orally and anally; close cylindrical tube feet overlapping ventrolaterally; longitudinal muscles broadly attached, relatively narrow, slightly thickened.