Actinopyga lecanora ( Jaeger, 1833 )

THANDAR, AHMED S., 2007, Additions to the aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the east coast of southern Africa, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1414 (1), pp. 1-62 : 12-13

Actinopyga lecanora ( Jaeger, 1833)

Figure 4

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Mü11eria 1ecanora Jaeger, 1833:12, p1.2, fig.2, pl.3, fig.8. Actinopyga lecanora Massin 1999:8 (synonymy & records before 1999); Samyn, 2003:12, fig. 3 (synonymy & records

after 1999).

Type Perhaps lost

Type locality Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia .

Previous southern African record Querimba Archipelago , northern Mozambique, 18 m.

Material examined UW Ecological Survey , Inhaca Island (no further data), 2 spec.

Local distribution Known only from Mozambique.

General distribution Indo-West Pacific but not yet reported from the Arabian and Indian peninsulas and Hawaii, up to 23 m.

Remarks

This is the first record of this species from southern Africa, south of the tropic of Capricorn. Its Querimba (northern Mozambique) record is that of Pearson (1910). The two specimens at hand measure 114 x 81 mm and 102 x 32 mm; both are chocolate brown dorsally, paler ventrally, with a much paler patch around the anus. The podia are all retracted, scattered in the larger specimen but with some indication of their arrangement in rows ventrally in the smaller specimen. There are 18 tentacles with the mouth and anus both subventral. The stone canal is suspended in the dorsal mesentery, the Polian vesicle terminally saccular and the madreporic body spherical. There are no Cuvierian tubules. The spicules of the dorsal body wall ( Figure 4A ) measure 17–41 µm and those of the ventral body wall ( Figure 4B ) 19–28 µm. The rods of the podia ( Figure 4C ) are 51–110 µm long; those of the tentacles ( Figure 4D ) 97–218 µm. This species is well characterised by the pale patch around the anus and the presence of only minute, poorly branched rods in the body wall.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Actinopyga lecanora (Jaeger, 1833). Inhaca. A. Rods from dorsal body wall; B. same from ventral body wall; C. rods from podia; D. tentacle rods; E. part of calcareous ring. (A, B & D scale a)