Stichopus herrmanni Semper, 1868

Woo, Sau Pinn, Yasin, Zulfigar, Tan, Shau Hwai, Kajihara, Hiroshi & Fujita, Toshihiko, 2015, Sea cucumbers of the genus Stichopus Brandt, 1835 (Holothuroidea, Stichopodidae) in Straits of Malacca with description of a new species, ZooKeys 545, pp. 1-26 : 3-6

Taxon classification Animalia Aspidochirotida Stichopodidae

Stichopus herrmanni Semper, 1868 Figs 4, 5

Stichopus variegatus Semper, 1868: 73.

Stichopus variegatus ; Cherbonnier 1947: 187-189, fig. a–c; Féral and Cherbonnier 1986: 98.

Stichopus herrmanni ; Massin 1999: 63, fig. 52.

Material examined.

Four specimens: USM/MSL/PSEM 001, USM/MSL/PSEM002, USM/MSL/PSEM003, USM/MSL/PP004.

Type locality.

Philippines.

Description.

External morphology: Large body with quadrangular cross-section with four distinctive sides; firm, rugose, and having thick folding surfaces. Uniformly greyish brown on dorsal side; light brown to yellowish on ventral body with an orange patch spreading from mid ventral body to anterior ventral body. Two rows of small and short papillae on dorso-lateral edges; papillae absent on ventro-lateral edges; tip of papillae brown; base grey-coloured. Numerous, smaller, brown-tipped papillae spreading across dorsal body. Laterally, papillae being lesser in number and density. Ring of minute papillae surrounding oral opening. Tube feet numerous in ambulacra areas. Central ambulacrum occupying more rows of tube feet compared to other two am bulacra areas. Narrow interambulacra areas without tube feet. Twenty peltate-shaped tentacles. Anus terminal.

Spicules: Dorsal body mainly tables, C-shaped rods, rosettes, and pseudo tables (Fig. 5 A–D). Table spicules in dorsal body have rounded to quadrangular in shape bases, with four central perforations and numerous peripheral holes; three or four short pillars forming spires connected by a cross beam; tip of pillars with thorny crown endings (Fig. 5A). Rosettes in dorsal body abundant with various shapes and sizes; simple to complex bifurcation on both ends (Fig. 5C). Pseudo tables in dorsal body have four pillars extending from reduced base; no disk formed at base (Fig. 5D). Papillae consist of tables, C-shaped rods, and rosettes (Fig. 5 E–G). Base of tables in papillae with rough rims; four pillars with multiple spines on the tip erected from disc; four central holes on the disc with 2-3 peripheral holes. C-shaped rods and rosettes in papillae similar to those in dorsal body. Tube feet have large perforated plates, rods, and reduced tables (Fig. 5 H–J). Perforated plates in tube feet in rectangular and square shapes, jagged and pointy rims (Fig. 5H). Rods in tube feet with central extended perforations (Fig. 5J); surface covered with spinelets. Reduced tables of tube feet have base with four central perforations and 5-8 peripheral holes; reduced pillars liken knobs formed at central of base; rim of base being smooth (Fig. 5I). Tentacles containing rods of different sizes with rough surfaces covered with spinelets; slightly bended (Fig. 5K).

Remarks.

Stichopus herrmanni is originally described as a subspecies of Stichopus variegatus before Rowe and Gates (1995) reclassify and accorded Stichopus herrmanni a species status. Stichopus herrmanni is closely related to Stichopus monotuberculatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833) but the papillae of Stichopus herrmanni are clearly smaller and less conspicuous than those of Stichopus monotuberculatus . Massin et al. (2002) noted that rosette spicules in Stichopus herrmanni were highly variable in size and abundance. The presence of pseudo-tables found in the dorsal body of our Stichopus herrmanni specimens was the first to be reported for the genus Stichopus . Pseudo-tables has only been found in Thelenota within the family Stichopodidae ( Cherbonnier and Féral 1984; Cherbonnier 1988; Massin and Lane 1991; Massin 1999). It is not certain whether this spicule is commonly occurring in this species of different localities. Pseudo-tables can be used to distinguish Stichopus herrmanni from other congeners if they are consistently present in specimens from other localities.

Distribution.

Throughout the Indo-West Pacific ( Clark and Rowe 1971).