Orphnurgus natalasper Thandar 1992

Samyn, Yves & Vandenspiegel, Didier, 2016, Sublittoral and bathyal sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the Northern Mozambique Channel with description of six new species, Zootaxa 4196 (4), pp. 451-497 : 489

Orphnurgus natalasper Thandar 1992

( Fig. 29 A – E)

Ophnurgus natalasper Thandar, 1992: 176 , figs 5, 7B.

Material examined. IE-2007-801 (1 specimen, sampled between Nosy Bé and Banc du Leven) ; IE-2007-820 (1 specimen, sampled between Nosy Bé and Banc du Leven) .

Remarks. Even though our specimens have only 30 ventrolateral tube feet whereas the original description of O. natalasper Thandar, 1992 , mentions 40, we feel no hesitation in assigning them to Thandar’s (1992) species because the short undivided spinous rods of the body wall are a near perfect match.

These records extends the range of O. natalasper northwards roughly 15 degrees. Depth (704 m) is close to the 860 m reported by Thandar (1992).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Ophnurgus natalasper Thandar, 1992. A – B: Dorsal view (A) and ventral view (B) of specimen IE- 2007 - 801. C – E: SEM photos of ossicles from the anterior part of dorsal body wall (C) anterior (D) and posterior (E) part of ventral body wall. Scale bars: A, B = 1 cm; C, D, E = 100 µm.