Thelenota anax H. L. Clark, 1921

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 : 5-6

Thelenota anax H. L. Clark, 1921

Thelenota anax H.L. Clark, 1921: 185 , p1.18, fig.3; Thandar, 1987:282; Massin, 1999:78, text-figs.3 & 4 (synonymy before 1999); Samyn 2003:96, fig. 39.

Type MCZ 1068 .

Type locality Murray Island, Torres Strait , Queensland .

Material examined Sodwana Reefs, KZN, Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, 1 spec.

Distribution Tropical Indo-West Pacific, 5– 30 m. Remarks

The Mozambique record is that of Cherbonnier (1979), based on a single specimen from Glory Islands, Mozambique Channel, at a depth of 25 m. The current South African record is also based on a single specimen taken from the Sodwana reef, northern KZN, by the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban and maintained alive at the Sea World. It was observed to harbour pearlfish, an association which formed the subject of an excellent review article by Ballard (1990). Thandar & Samyn's (2004) record of T. ananas from South Africa is erroneous and should be read as T. anax .