Actinopyga echinites ( Jaeger, 1833 )

THANDAR, AHMED S., 2007, Additions to the aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the east coast of southern Africa, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1414 (1), pp. 1-62 : 11

Actinopyga echinites ( Jaeger, 1833)

Figure 3

Mülleria echinites Jaeger, 1833:17 , p1. 3, fig. 6.

Muelleria plebeja Selenka, 1867:291 , pls. 17–20.

Actinopyga echinites, Samyn, 2003: 10 , fig. 2 (synonymy & records).

Type Probably lost, syntypes of M. plebeja in MCZ 826 .

Type locality Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia .

Previous southern African record Querimba Archipelago, northern Mozambique.

Material examined

UW Ecological Survey , Inhaca Island, Mozambique, NB 107 J, 12 i 1959, 3 spec. ; NB 107H, 12 i 1959, 3 spec.; HOL B/18/3 & 4, Northflats , Sandflats, Foulding (coll. & det. as A. miliaris ), 1 x 1964, 3 spec. ; Inhaca Island (no further data), 2 spec. ; Saco , Inhaca Island, IN 58-9-41, 42, 27/ 28 ix 1958, 1 spec. ; Isipingo Beach, KZN, SAM-A27919 , 29 ii 1972, R. Biseswar , 1 spec. ; SAM-A27920 , 13 i 1978, R. Biseswar , 1 spec. ; SAM- A27921 , 14 iv 1978, K.S. Ganga , 2 spec. ; SAM-A27922 , 24 iv 1978, K.S. Ganga , 5 spec. ; SAM-A27923 , vii 1979, K.S. Ganga , 1 spec. ; SAM-A27924 , Mission Rock , KZN, A.S. Thandar , 1 spec.

Local distribution From Isipingo Beach, KZN to Querimba, northern Mozambique.

General distribution

Throughout the Indo-West Pacific region but not known from Hawaii and the Arabian and Indian peninsulas.

Habitat Locally in rock pools, takes no precaution to hide itself.

Remarks

This well known Indo-West Pacific species was first recorded from northern Mozambique by Panning (1944). The Inhaca specimens were identified by Dr. Cherbonnier as A. plebeja , a name now considered a synonym of A. echinites (Rowe, in Rowe & Gates 1995). South African forms were first recorded by Thandar (1971, 1984) but these records were only recently published and without any taxonomic data (see Thandar & Samyn 2004). A characteristic feature of the species are the large spiny rods ( Figure 3F ) of the type illustrated by Rowe (1969) and Rowe and Doty (1977) and, at least in the South African material, yellowish, often concealed anal teeth. Similar spiny rods are described by Cherbonnier (1979) also for A. flammea from New Caledonia but this species is said to be close to A. serratidens and A. obesa . The spiny rods of A. echinites are variable in length, the elongated ones are 50–108 µm ( Figure 3A, B ) and the rosette-like rods 15–70 µm, both dimensions correspond well with those of similar deposits illustrated by Rowe (1969) and Clark and Rowe (1971).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger). SAM–A27919. A. Rods from dorsal body wall and papillae; B. rods from ventral body wall and tubefeet; C. tentacle spicules; D. madreporite; E. part of calcareous ring; F. spiny rod from body wall. (A & B scale a; C. scale B; D. scale c; E. scale d).