Endoxocrinus (Endoxocrinus) parrae carolinae ( A.H. Clark, 1934 )

David, Jerome, Roux, Michel, Messing, Charles G. & Ameziane, Nadia, 2006, Revision of the pentacrinid stalked crinoids of the genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a study of environmental control of characters and its consequences for taxonomy, Zootaxa 1156, pp. 1-50 : 37

Endoxocrinus (Endoxocrinus) parrae carolinae ( A.H. Clark, 1934)

Figures 4 e–f, 5a.

Synonymy: Diplocrinus carolinae A.H. Clark, 1934: 4 ; Diplocrinus maclearanus Meyer et al., 1978 (pars): 426; Endoxocrinus (Endoxocrinus) mülleri var. carolinae David, 1998: 203 (unpublished data); Endoxocrinus (Endoxocrinus) carolinae Roux et al., 2002: 820 .

Emended diagnosis

A short­stalked subspecies of E. parrae with up to 40 (mode 30) smooth arms (rarely rough) up to 168 mm long (mean 123 mm); number of IIIBr up to 4 (mode 3); stalk length up to 16.2 cm (mean 10.2 cm); proximalmost stalk diameter up to 5.6 mm (mean 5 mm); proximal cirri remaining rudimentary behind the 5th nodal; columnal thickness and width irregular; number of internodals per noditaxis up to 12 (mode 8); ratio of height to diameter of nodals 0.41–0.44; cryptosymplexies with a slight inner symmorphy of interpetaloid zones; number of cirrals per cirrus up to 44 (mode 34).

Type locality

Off Puerto Rico at a depth of 504– 612 m.

Holotype: Catalogue no. USNM E3124, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.; first figured by A.H. Clark, 1934, Pl. 1, Fig. 3 and Pl. 2 Fig. 5 .

Figures

FIGURE 3. The five sites with pentacrinid crinoids studied off the Bahamas. Arrows indicate observed strong and weak current direction. (Short­term flow reversals at the Middle Site and Lithoherms are not indicated).

FIGURE 4. The four phenotypes of diplocrinine crinoids in their environment off the Bahamas. (a): population of the minimus phenotype on the flank of a lithoherm (photo courtesy A. C. Neumann, Univ. North Carolina, taken from DSV Alvin), (b): one specimen of the prionodes phenotype between blocks at the Deep site, (c): a population of the parrae phenotype accompanied by a few Neocrinus decorus on the upcurrent slope of a large mound at the Middle Site, (d): one specimen of the parrae phenotype on a hardground slope at the Middle Site, (e): a population of the carolinae phenotype clinging to the overhanging edge of a block at the Deep Site, (f): three specimens of the phenotype carolinae attached to the side of a block at the Deep Site (photos b­f taken from Johnson Sea Link by C. G. Messing).

FIGURE 5. External morphology of the four phenotypes living off the Bahamas. (a): carolinae phenotype, specimen 61 from Deep Site, (b): parrae phenotype, specimen 67 from Middle Site, (c): prionodes phenotype, specimen 99 from Lithoherm Site, (d): phenotype minimus, specimen 34 from Lithoherm Site.