Globosita elnazae O’Loughlin, 2014

P. Mark O’Loughlin, Melanie Mackenzie & Didier Vandenspiegel, 2014, New dendrochirotid sea cucumbers from northern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 72, pp. 5-23 : 8-10

Globosita elnazae O’Loughlin sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:4E654BA2-1AC4-41AE-

A52D-B6891E620792

Figures 3 , 4 , table 1.

Material examined. Holotype. NW Australia, Joseph Bonaparte Gulf , Kimberley region, off King George River, 13.79°S 127.24°E, RV Solander, 55 m, J. Keesing, 10 Jun 2013, WAM Z27872 (KGR lot 23426; UF tissue lot MOLAF1484 ).

Paratypes. Off King George River, 13.85°S 127.29°E, RV Solander, 45 m, J. Keesing, 6 Jun 2013, WAM Z27861 (1) (KGR lot 23322; UF tissue lot MOLAF1459); 13.82°S 127.32°E, 73 m, 12 Jun 2013, WAM Z27853 (1) (KGR lot 29381; UF tissue lot MOLAF1442); 13.90°S 127.33°E, 11 m, 7 Jun 2013, NMV F202999 (2) (KGR lot 23425; UF tissue lots MOLAF1468, 1469).

Other material. NE Australia, Queensland, near Cairns, Machans Beach , 16.85°S 145.73°E, on beach after cyclone, B. Collins, 25 Dec 1996, NMV F203014 (1).

Description. Form sub-spherical, up to 100 mm long (preserved), slightly convex dorsally, deeply convex ventrally, mouth anterior dorsal, anus posterior dorsal, slightly developed oral and anal cones (preserved); lacking anal scales; thin soft body wall, slightly thicker dorsally; tube feet scattered over body, closer dorsally, clusters of numerous tube feet around mouth and anus, diameters about 0.4 mm; 20 dendritic tentacles, 15 large outer, 5 small inner (proximal peri-oral); calcareous ring composite, radial plates with paired tapered posterior prolongations comprising about 3 discrete segments; inter-radial plates pointed anteriorly, deep notch posteriorly, lacking posterior prolongations; single polian vesicle; madreporite multi-lobed, near posterior end of calcareous ring; gonad tubules short with numerous branches; respiratory trees extending the length of the coelom.

Ossicles scattered sparsely in dorsal and ventral body wall, regular to irregular thick oval plates and incomplete tables; larger regular dorsal plates oval to rounded sub-rectangular in form, some with large central perforation with cross and 4 truncate pillars (not amongst ossicles illustrated), large and small surrounding perforations, surface sometimes finely knobbed, margin finely spinous, plates up to 90 µ m long; smaller irregular dorsal plates round to irregular in form, frequently with small perforations, sometimes with 2 large central perforations, surface variably finely knobbed, margin irregular to finely spinous, plates 40–70 µ m long. Ventral body wall with some tables, oval discs up to 100 µ m long, spires low, 4 pillars, sometimes not connected distally, sometimes with connecting distal bridge with short blunt spines. Tube feet endplate diameters about 250 µ m, tube foot and endplate support ossicles elongate perforated curved plates up to 160 µ m long. Peri-anal body wall with tables, endplates, tube foot support rod-plates; table discs irregularly round to rounded square, up to 80 µ m wide, spires with 4 pillars, short spines distally; endplates about 100 µ m diameter; tube foot support ossicles short, thick curved, rodplates, about 100 µ m long. Tentacles with rod ossicles only, rods smooth, ends widened with few perforations and denticulate margin, rods up to 120 µ m long. Rosette ossicles not observed in tentacles or peri-anal body wall.

Colour live pale yellow to off-white; colour preserved offwhite to pale brown, tube feet mostly with brown rim.

Distribution. N Australia, off King George River, Kimberley region, north Western Australia, to near Cairns, Queensland, 11– 73 m.

Etymology. Named elnazae for Elnaz Tavancheh (Museum Victoria Volunteer), with appreciation of Elnaz’s generous and skilled assistance with sea cucumber systematics.

Remarks. The distinguishing characters of Globosita elnazae O’Loughlin sp. nov. are the more abundant tube feet dorsally and the presence of a large central perforation surmounted by a cross in some plate ossicles. We note that for Cherbonnier 1988 fig. 93, illustrating the ossicle for Globosita murrea , fig. “E” illustrating rosettes should be “H” and fig. “H” illustrating tables should be “K”. In Globosita elnazae we did not observe rosettes. Globosita elnazae sp. nov. is distinguished from the other species in the genus by the combination of morphological characters summarized in Table 1.

Figures

Figure 3. Photos of live, and preserved and collapsed, holotype specimen of Globosita elnazae O’Loughlin sp. nov. (WAM Z27872). A, ventrolateral view of the live holotype specimen; B, photo of the calcareous ring of the holotype; C, dorsal view of the preserved holotype (100 mm long); D. ventral view of the preserved holotype; insert with sketch of the calcareous ring of the holotype.

Figure 4. SEM images of ossicles from the holotype of Globosita elnazae O’Loughlin sp. nov. (WAM Z27872). A, dorsal mid-body wall and tube feet small knobbed plates, tube foot support plate (centre top), and endplate fragment (centre bottom) (scale bars 10 µm); B, ventral mid-body wall knobbed plates (scale bars 10 µm); C, peri-anal body wall tables, small endplate, and tube foot support rod-plates (scale bars 10 µm); D, tentacle rod (scale bar 10 µm).