Holothuria (Metriatyla) kurti Ludwig, 1891

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 : 464-466

Holothuria (Metriatyla) kurti Ludwig, 1891

( Fig. 7 A – C)

Holothuria kurti Ludwig, 1891 [1889 – 92]: 329; Sluiter, 1901: 27, pl. VI, figs 1a – d Pearson, 1903: 200, pl. 3, figs 42 – 45; Koehler & Vaney, 1908: 9; Cherbonnier, 1963: 6, 8, fig. 2h.

Holothuria (Holothuria) kurti ; Panning, 1935: 98, fig. 89a – h.

Holothuria (Theelothuria) kurti ; Rowe, 1969: 158; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 178; Mary Bai, 1981: 15; Price, 1982: 11.

Holothuria (Metriatyla) ocellata ( Jaeger,1833) ; Liao, 1979: 118, fig. 5; Liao, 1997: 135, fig. 78, 305 (description in key) (non H. ocellata ).

Material examined. Non-type material: IE-2007-768 (1 specimen, collected in front of Nazendry Bay ) ; IE-2007- 790 (4 specimens, collected North of Cape Saint André) .

Remarks. H. kurti is the replacement name that Ludwig (1889 – 92) proposed for H. lamperti Sluiter, 1890 , junior homonym of H. lamperti Ludwig, 1887 .

Liao (1979) suggested that H. kurti might be a juvenile form of H. ocellata ( Jaeger, 1833) 1 (sensu Théel 1886). We do not agree with this point of view because: (i) H. ocellata (sensu Théel 1886), as aptly re-described by Teo & Ng (2009), does not present the synallactid-like tables that are characteristic of H. kurti (fig. 7C) and (ii) H. ocellata (sensu Théel 1886) has few, huge tack-like tables in the papillae ( Teo & Ng 2009) whereas H. kurti has only tables with a medium high spire ending in a narrow crown, but no true tack-like tables (fig. 7C). Also we can refute the claim that the spatulid tables of H. kurti are a juvenile character, because the largest specimen we have under study, 7,3 cm long, possesses gonads and hence is not a juvenile (fig.7 A, B).

1. We have examined the holotype of Bohadschia ocellata Jaeger, 1833 and, after discussion with colleagues (Kerr & Paulay, pers. comm), come to the conclusion that this is a valid Bohadschia species. Théel’s (1886) transition to the genus Holothuria was clearly unjustified.

Because H. kurti lacks tack-like tables and does not have a calcareous ring with radial plates with posterior extensions, we propose to put H. kurti in the subgenus Metriatyla and not Theelothuria Deichmann, 1958 as suggested by Rowe (1969) and Liao (1979, 1997).

The present specimens, sampled between 50 and 54 m, are new records for Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Holothuria (Metriatyla) kurti Ludwig, 1891. A – B: Lateral (A) and dorsal (B) views of specimen IE- 2007 - 768. C: SEM photos of ossicles from the lateral papillae. Scale bars: A, B = 1 cm; C = 20 µm.