Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) papillifera Heding

Yves, 2003, The holothurian subgenus Mertensiothuria (Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae) revisited, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 2487-2519 : 2505-2508

Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) papillifera Heding inMortensen, 1938

(figures 7A–M, 8A–J, 12H–K)

Holothuria papillifera Heding in Mortensen, 1938: 55, pl. XI, figures 1–3.

Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) papillifera: Rowe, 1969: 149 ; Clark and Rowe, 1971: 176; Price, 1982: 11 Samyn et al., 2001: 104, 107.

Original name. Holothuria papillifera Heding in Mortensen, 1938.

Name-bearing type. Syntype series ZM Karaf no. 85, 25.10.1937; lectotype by present designation, ZM Karaf no. 85/1 (largest specimen of the type series), paralectotypes ZM Karaf no. 85/2,3.

Type locality. Egypt (Ghardaqa) .

Current status. Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) papillifera Heding in Mortensen, 1938.

Material examined. ZM lectotype and two paralectotypes.

Description. Medium size to large specimens (lectotype 225× 20–30 mm; paralectotypes 165× 30–50 mm and 160× 20–30 mm); body club-shaped, narrow anteriorly, much larger posteriorly. Colour of living specimen uniform greyish brown. Colour in alcohol brown dorsally (figure 12H), beige to light brown ventrally (figure 12K). Mouth ventral, anus terminal. Twenty short, yellowish tentacles surrounded by a circle of papillae. Dorsally, numerous, large conical papillae without alignment (figure 12J). Ventrally, tube feet densely crowded in the ambulacral as well as in the interambulacral areas (figure 12J).

Calcareous ring (figure 7A) typical of the subgenus Mertensiothuria ; two long Polian vesicles (one-sixth of body length) and two very short (±2% of body length), contorted stone canals (figure 7B); tentacle ampullae very short (2–2.5% body length). Cuvierian tubules numerous, whitish, very thin.

Ossicles: in the body wall tables and buttons. Dorsally, tables few with disc 45–75 m m across, round to quadrangular (figure 7C), perforated by four central and 9–10 peripheral holes; four pillars united by one cross-beam and ending in a small crown of spines; table height ± 50 m m. Buttons regular with three to five pairs of holes (three pairs being the most frequent), 55–85 m m long (figure 7D); a few irregular buttons (figure 7E). In the ventral body wall same types of ossicle, tables (figure 7F) being more numerous and buttons (figure 7G) smaller than dorsally. At the base of the dorsal papillae same ossicles as in the dorsal body wall. At the top of the papillae, tables (figure 7H), buttons (figure 7J) generally with three pairs of holes and rods, 200–230 m m long, with lateral processes (figure 7K). In the dorsal papillae of the paralectotype, 165 mm long, the buttons have generally four to five pairs of holes and lateral processes of the rods are perforated (figure 7L). In the tube feet buttons (figure 7M), irregular perforated plates (figure 8A), large, regular perforated plates, from 70× 85 m m to 95× 120 m m (figure 8B), and small tables (figure 8C), 50–55 m m across. In the paralectoptype 165 mm long, ossicles of the tube feet somewhat larger, especially the regular and irregular perforated plates (figure 8D and E, respectively). In the tentacles rods, spiny at the extremities (figure 8F, G), 30–500 m m long. The smallest rods, 30–45 m m long, C- or S-shape (figure 8H). In the longitudinal muscles numerous regular to irregular C-shape and O-ring ossicles (figure 8J), 10–65 m m long.

Diagnosis. Present note.

Ecology. Unknown.

Geographical distribution. Up to now only recorded from the Red Sea (Ghardaqa, Abu Sadaf and Abu Fanadir).

Proposed status. Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) papillifera Heding in Mortensen, 1938.

Comments. The original description of H. (M.) papillifera given by Heding (in Mortensen, 1938) in a footnote (without any illustration) is very succinct. Since the type series is available in the collection of the ZM, we take the opportunity to describe and illustrate the species, and to designate a lectotype and paralectotypes.

Heding (in Mortensen, 1938) suggested that H. (M.) papillifera is very close to H. (M.) leucospilota . Rowe (1969) suggested it is possibly conspecific with H. (M.) leucospilota . Examination of the type series confirms that both species are close to each other. Moreover, presence or absence of Cuvierian tubules is no longer a distinctive character (Heding in Mortensen, 1938) since both species possess them. The main characters separating H. (M.) papillifera from H. (M.) leucospilota are the greyish brown colour of the body wall, the long, soft dorsal papillae, the tables with a smooth disc margin, a very narrow crown of spines at the top of the tables, the rods of the dorsal papillae with lateral perforated processes and the presence of ossicles in the tentacles.