Taeniogyrus prydzi, O’Loughlin & VandenSpiegel, 2010

O’Loughlin, P. Mark & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2010, A revision of Antarctic and some Indo-Pacific apodid sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Apodida), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 67, pp. 61-95 : 86-89

Taeniogyrus prydzi sp. nov.

Figure 15 ; tables 2, 3

Taeniogyrus sp. MoV 2007 O’Loughlin et al., 1994: 553, 554. Taeniogyrus sp. MoV 2010 O’Loughlin et al., 1994: 553, 554.

Material examined. Holotype. Eastern Antarctica, MacRobertson Shelf, stn ANARE AA 93–124 , 66°55'S 62°32'E, 113 m, M. O’Loughlin, NMV F68690 .

Paratypes. MacRobertson Shelf , Edge of Nielsen Basin, stn ANARE AA 93–127 , 67°16'S 65°25'E, 109–121 m , NMV F69120 (1) ; NMV F68689 (1, 2 pieces) ; Prydz Bay , N of Fram Bank, stn ANARE AA 93–142 , 66°49'S 70°25'E, 795–830 m , NMV F68688 (3) ; NMV F76096 (1).

Diagnosis. Up to 50 mm long; 10 tentacles, 6 pairs of digits per tentacle, digits increasing in length distally; tentacle ossicles rods, thick, predominantly straight, short blunt branches distally, rare centrally, rods 136–152 µ m long; chiridotid wheels with continuous series of teeth on inner rim; single dorsal series of wheel aggregations, a few irregularly scattered wheel clusters dorso-laterally; no wheel aggregations ventrally; chiridotid wheels up to 90 µ m diameter; sigmoid hooks scattered in body wall, 232–272 µ m long; single polian vesicle; numerous gonad tubules arising from a common hub; single ventral interradial series of ciliated funnels.

Distribution. Eastern Antarctica, MacRobertson Shelf, 109– 121 m; Prydz Bay Channel, outfall slope, 795– 830 m.

Etymology. Named for Prydz Bay in eastern Antarctica near the type locality.

Remarks. The ossicles in the type specimens show evidence of erosion but are adequate for systematic assessment. The eastern Antarctic Taeniogyrus prydzi sp. nov. is distinguished from the western Antarctic Taeniogyrus antarcticus Heding by the single polian vesicle and significantly longer sigmoid hooks (see Table 3).

Figures

Figure 15. SEM images for holotype of Taeniogyrus prydzi sp. nov. (Prydz Bay; NMV F68690). a, hooks from body wall; b, wheels from body wall; c, rods from tentacles.