Salmacis virgulata L. Agassiz in L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846

Figure 4

Material studied. WUSL/ER/246, 247 (wet, with spines) and WUSL/ER/89, 248, 249, 250 (dry, with spines) from Nagadeepaya; WUSL/ER/251 (wet, with spines) and WUSL/ER/252 (dry, with spines) from Mandathiv; WUSL/ ER/253, 254 (dry, with spines) from Mulathiv; WUSL/ER/255, 256 (dry, with spines) from Point Pedro; WUSL/ ER/257, 258 (dry, with spines) from Silavathurai.

Literature records for Sri Lanka. Agassiz & Desor (1846), Clark (1915, 1925), Koehler (1927), Fernando (2006), Jayakody (2012).

Distribution in Sri Lanka. Northern, southern, and northwestern coasts of Sri Lanka.

Recorded depth range in Sri Lanka. 9–12 m (present study), 59 m (previous records).

Habitat. Among seagrass beds and coral rubble.

Observed occurrence in this study. Northern coast (Mandathiv, Mulathiv, Nagadeepa, Point Pedro, and Silavathurai) of Sri Lanka.

Remarks. S. virgulata can be distinguished from others in the genus in having uniformly purplish, unbanded primary spines with whitish bases (Fig. 4).

This was the first echinoid species recorded to occur in Sri Lanka by Agassiz & Desor (1846), who cited the locality as “ Ceylan ” (Sri Lanka) for “ Salmacis virgulatus ”, an incorrect formulation of the name. The holotype (EcEh 5940) is from Sri Lanka, and is housed at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, France (Vadon et al. 1984).