Neoamphicyclus mutans ( Joshua, 1914 ) O’Loughlin, 2007

O’Loughlin, P. Mark, 2007, New cucumariid species from southern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida: Cucumariidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 64, pp. 23-34 : 28

Neoamphicyclus mutans ( Joshua, 1914) comb. nov.

Figures 1b , 2d , 4e

Cucumaria mutans Joshua, 1914: 4 , pl. 1 figs 1a–d (part).— Joshua and Creed, 1915: 18 (part).—H. L. Clark, 1938: 444–445 (part).

Mensamaria thomsoni .—H.L. Clark, 1946: 406 (adult forms; non Mensamaria thomsoni ( Hutton, 1879) .

Cucumella mutans .— Heding and Panning, 1954: 67–68.—A. M. Clark, 1966: 348–349.— Dartnall, 1980: 54, pl. 5, fig. 31, map 16.— Rowe, 1982: 460, 468, fig. 10.34a.— O’Loughlin, 1984: 151.— O’Loughlin and O’Hara, 1992: 227–29.— Rowe, 1995: 273.

Type locality. Victoria, Western Port .

Material examined. Cucmaria mutans Joshua, 1914 . Lectotype (nominated here). Western Port , Jan 1912, NMV F45138 .

Paralectotypes (nominated here): Type locality and lot, F132723 (1); Victoria , F45139 (1).

Remaining syntypes: Specimen removed from F45139 redetermined as Neoamphicyclus materiae sp. nov. (F132702); second specimen removed from F45139 determined as Neoamphicyclus sp. (F132719; ossicles completely eroded); Western Port, F45140 (microscope slide).

Other material. Victoria, Walkerville, 6 Mar 1982 , F76209 (2); Shack Bay , VNPMS stn 27, 4–6 m, 14 Feb 1996 , F146578 (1); Western Port , Joshua, Jan 1912 , F76477 (1); Crib Point Benthic Survey , 2 m, 13 Apr 1965 , F76640 (1); Shoreham, 30 Mar 1902, F76083 (1); McHaffies, 7 Feb 1970, F45246 (1); Flinders, ocean platforms, 22 Jan 1982, F76076 (2); 17 Feb 1990, F76609 (6); Port Phillip Bay , southern, 38°17’ S, 144°38’ E, 3–6 m, 30 Mar 1986 , F136913 (3); Cheltenam beach, 20 Jul 1891, F76085 (6). N Tasmania, Waterhouse Passage, 26 Feb 1991 , F146576 (9); Tamar R., Greens Beach, 3 May 1986, F146577 (8); Point Sorell, 19 Jan 1989, F146579 (2); King I., 9 Mar 1980, F146575 (2). South Australia, Victor Harbor, 9 Nov 1988 , F146574 (1); Glenelg, Jul 1979, F76089 (1); Kangaroo I., NE Eastern Cove , rocky shallows, 16 Jan 1990 , F136915 (1); Emu Bay , 17 Jan 1990 , F136916 (1); Port Lincoln, North Shore , 14 Feb 1970 , F136912 (1); dredged, Jan 1968, F136914 (1); Streaky Bay , Point Westall, Smooth Pool, 15 Jan 1991 , F109315 (3). Western Australia, Perth, Cottesloe , Sargassum beds, 6 Feb 2007, WAM Z37473 (1).

Description. Neoamphicyclus species up to 60 mm long with maximum diameter 25 mm (preserved; tentacles excluded); perioral blunt to thick conical papillae; paired single radial series of tube feet usually cross true introvert, sometimes only a few present; gonad tubules not branched.

Ossicles. Body wall, introvert, with abundant table ossicles only: table discs sometimes regular (sub-triangular with 3 large 3 small perforations), mostly irregular in form, disc size range 72–136 μ m wide, frequently about 112 μ m wide; perforations 6–23; pillars 3–5, predominantly 3, typically 48 μ m long. Tube feet with endplates up to 320 μ m diameter; few elongate, irregular, perforated support plates, about 168 μ m long. Tentacles with rods, rosettes both basally and distally, tables, and intergrading forms up to 184 μ m long: rods plate-like, perforated, irregular in form; rosettes plate-like with small close perforations, largest with large central perforations, some with secondary layer developments, rosettes up to 136 μ m long; table discs 44–88 μ m wide, 4–20 perforations, 2–4 pillars. Posterior anal body wall with 5 rudimentary scales (anastomosing calcareous bodies), irregular form, up to 520 μ m long.

Colour. Live: body violet-grey to blue-grey, frequently with some purple colouration, darker anteriorly and posteriorly. Preserved: body pale to dark brown, to brown-grey, to blue-grey, to violet-black, darker anteriorly and posteriorly; introvert brown to off-white; tentacle trunks pale grey, brown flecks, white lumps, lacking basal white band; tentacle dendritic branches dark brown; disc with brown markings.

Distribution (this work). Victoria, W of Wilsons Promontory (Walkerville), N Tasmania, to SW Western Australia (Perth); 0– 6 m.

Remarks. H. L. Clark (1938) judged material from Bunkers Bay (Margaret River) and Cottesloe (Perth) in SW Australia to be Cucumaria mutans Joshua, 1914 . This material was not examined here and confirmed as N. altoffi sp. nov. or N. mutans (Joshua) . Subsequently H. L. Clark (1946) synonymised Cucumaria mutans Joshua, 1914 with Mensamaria thomsoni ( Hutton, 1879) , and referred material from the western side of the Great Australian Bight (165 m), Bunkers Bay and Perth to this species. The specimen from the Great Australian Bight was not examined here and confirmed as N. altoffi or N. mutans . H. L. Clark (1946) commented that “further study of this holothurian in New Zealand, Victoria and Western Australia may show that at least 2 and possibly 3 species are at present confused under one name”. Later Heding and Panning (1954) raised Cucumaria mutans Joshua, 1914 out of synonymy, and reassigned the species to Cucumella Ludwig and Heding, 1935 . This decision was based on an erroneous assessment of tentacle number, as discussed under Neoamphicyclus Hickman (above), and C. mutans is re-assigned here to Neoamphicyclus .

As indicated in the material examined a lectotype and paralectotypes are nominated here. One syntype specimen is determined as Neoamphicyclus materiae sp. nov., and one syntype specimen with completely eroded ossicles can no longer be determined to species and remains Neoamphicyclus sp. Hickman (1962) reported Cucumella mutans from SE Tasmania (Derwent Estuary; TM H2139). The specimens were re-examined here and determined as N. altoffi sp. nov. (above). No specimens of N. mutans from southern Tasmania have been seen in this work. Marsh and Pawson (1993) determined “with some doubt” as Cucumella mutans ( Joshua, 1914,) a small specimen (7 mm long), lacking tentacles, from 30 m at Rottnest I. (SW Australia). The form of the body wall tables is illustrated, and has some resemblance to those of N. mutans , but the average disc diameter (49 μ m) is significantly smaller. Tables with curved discs from tube feet are illustrated, and these have not been found in N. mutans . Many specimens from across southern Australia, previously identified as Cucumella mutans , are recognized in this work as a new Neoamphicyclus species ( N. altoffi sp. nov., above). N. mutans is distinguished from the other 3 species of Neoamphicyclus in the key.

Figures

Figure 1. a, Apsolidium falconerae sp. nov., holotype, from Phillip I., NMV F109375, preserved, 34 mm long, lateral view showing thick calcareous dorsal and lateral body, thin-walled sole, mid-ventral radial tube feet; insert with radial (left) and interradial (right) plates of calcareous ring. b, Neoamphicyclus mutans (Joshua, 1914), live colour, collected by Mark O’Loughlin from Flinders ocean platforms on 13 February 2007, 60 mm long, lateral view, NMV F123862. c, Neoamphicyclus altoffi sp. nov., holotype, from Fremantle, WAM Z279-92, preserved, 33 mm long, dorso-lateral view; insert with radial (left) and interradial (right) plates of calcareous ring. d, Neoamphicyclus altoffi sp. nov., tentacles showing white calcareous band of ossicles at base, NMV F132704. e, Neoamphicyclus materiae sp. nov., holotype, from Flinders, NMV F132722, preserved, 35 mm long, ventral view; insert with radial (left) and interradial (right) plates of calcareous ring. f, Neocucumella turnerae sp. nov., holotype, from Derwent estuary, TM H3295, preserved, 46 mm long; insert with radial (left) and interradial (right) plates of calcareous ring.

Figure 2. Body wall mounts. a, Apsolidium falconerae sp. nov., holotype, NMV F109375, knobbed plates in ventral body wall. b, Neocucumella turnerae sp. nov., paratype, TM H3296, endplate in ventral body wall; absence of other ossicles. c, Neoamphicyclus altoffi sp. nov., holotype, WAM Z279-92, table discs in body wall; insert with lateral view of table showing spire, NMV F132704. d, Neoamphicyclus mutans (Joshua, 1914), NMV F109315, table discs in body wall; insert showing table spire. e, Neoamphicyclus materiae sp. nov., paratype NMV F76360, table discs in body wall; inserts with lateral view of tables showing spires, paratype, NMV F76364. f, Neoamphicyclus lividus Hickman, 1962, table discs in body wall, NMV F58698.

Figure 4. Tentacle ossicles. a, Apsolidium falconerae sp. nov., holotype, NMV F109375, perforated plates and rods. b, Neoamphicyclus altoffi sp. nov., rosettes from lower tentacle (base), NMV F132704. c, Neoamphicyclus altoffi sp. nov., rods from upper tentacle, NMV F132704. d, Neoamphicyclus materiae sp. nov., paratype, NMV F76364, rods. e, Neoamphicyclus mutans (Joshua,1914), NMV F109315, rosettes from upper tentacle. f, Neocucumella turnerae sp. nov., paratype, TM H3296; rosettes from disc and oral papillae (left); rods from tentacles (right).