Amperima furcata ( Hérouard, 1899 ), Cosmo

Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias & Ávila, Sérgio P., 2019, The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean), Zootaxa 4639 (1), pp. 1-231 : 138

Amperima furcata ( Hérouard, 1899)

Reports for the Azores:

Kolga furcata $ Hérouard, 1899: 171 , fig. 2, 1902: 40–41, pl. 3, fig. 7, pl. 6, figs. 4–10, pl. 8, fig. 17;

Periamma (Kolga) furcatum ( Hérouard, 1899) — Perrier 1902: 276; Deichmann 1930: 134;

Periamma furcata ( Hérouard, 1899) — Hérouard 1923: 91; Mortensen 1927a: 368;

Amperima furcata ( Hérouard, 1899) — $ Hansen 1975: 159, fig. 75; García-Diez et al. 2005: 51; $ Gebruk 2008: 50, 51; Rogacheva et al. 2013: 600–601, figs. 7A, E, 17K, 18M, N, 19C.

Type locality: Mid-Atlantic Ridge , Azores (39°11’00”N, 30°44’40”W) .

See: Hérouard (1902); Rogacheva et al. (2013: 600–601, figs. 7A E, 17K, 18M, N, 19C).

Occurrence: Atlantic and Pacific deep waters ( Rogacheva et al. 2013); in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, from the Charles-Gibbs Fracture Zone south to the Azores ( Gebruk 2008) and east to the Bay of Biscay ( Hérouard 1923).

Depth: 1,846 –4,700 m ( Rogacheva et al. 2013); AZO: 1,846 –2,968 m ( Hérouard 1902, Gebruk 2008).

Habitat: frequent swimmer (benthopelagic; Rogacheva et al. 2013); on muddy sand ( Hérouard 1902).

Remarks: Amperima furcata was initially described by Hérouard (1899, 1902, as Kolga furcata ) based on specimens collected by Princesse Alice in the Azores. The type material was later reviewed by Hansen (1975) who transferred this species to the genus Amperima Pawson, 1965 . More recently, Gebruk et al. (2008) identified new material collected by G.O. Sars ( MAR–ECO Cruise) in northern-most Azorean waters (sta 40/367: 42°55’N, 30°20’W, 2,954 –2,968 m), thus confirming the historical record.

Rogacheva et al. (2012) observed this deposit feeder swimming above the sea floor for the first time. According to these authors, though spending most of its time feeding on sedimentary plains this species is a frequent swimmer, a possible adaptation to the patchy nature of its habitat. The ability to swim together with its known abyssal depth range may explain the rarity of records in the archipelago throughout its range.