Mertensiothuria Deichmann, 1958

Yves, 2003, The holothurian subgenus Mertensiothuria (Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae) revisited, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 2487-2519 : 2488

Subgenus Mertensiothuria Deichmann, 1958

Diagnosis [Type-species Stichopus leucospilota Brandt, 1835 ]

Size moderate to large (up to 400 mm long); body often cylindrical in shape, although some species display a flattened trivium. Often fugitive species, reflected by a relatively thin, smooth body wall, covered by numerous, more or less irregularly arranged, ventral tube feet, and by less numerous irregularly arranged dorsal papillae and tube feet. Calcareous ring stout with the radial plates almost twice as long as the interradial plates. Ossicles of the body wall consist of poorly developed tables and irregular buttons, perforated by three to six pairs of holes. Ventral tube feet with rods, buttons and wide plates. Longitudinal muscles contain ossicles varying in shape from rods to C-shape ossicles, rings and small, smooth buttons.