Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa lentiginosa Marenzeller, 1892

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 : 152-154

Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa lentiginosa Marenzeller, 1892

( Fig. 37 )

Reports for the Azores:

Holothuria lentiginosa $ Marenzeller, 1892: 66, 1893: 6–7 , pl. 1, fig. 1, pl. 2, fig. 1; Deichmann 1954: 391; Cherbonnier 1958:

371, 1965: 13–14; Rowe 1969: 151, 152; Pereira 1997: 333; Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999: 56–57, fig. 1C; García-Diez et al.

2005: 51; Holothuria lentiginosa lentiginosa Marenzeller—Miller & Pawson 1979: 914 –915, figs. 4C–D.

Type locality: between Faial and Pico islands, Azores (38°31’19”N, 28°34’31”W).

See: Marenzeller (1893); Tommasi & de Oliveira (1976: 81–84, fig. 6); Miller & Pawson (1979); Thandar & Mjobo (2014: 246–247, fig. 3).

Occurrence: Northeast Atlantic, from Morocco to Angola waters ( Hérouard 1929, Cherbonnier 1965), including the archipelagos of the Azores ( Marenzeller 1892), Canaries ( Rowe 1969),? Cape Verde ( Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999) and?Gorringe seamount; reported elsewhere in the Alboran Sea (Mediterranean Sea; Borrero-Pérez et al. 2010); the subspecies H. lentiginosa enodis Miller & Pawson, 1979 was reported from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean in the West Atlantic and to? Cape Verde archipelago ( Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999) in the East Atlantic; the subspecies H. lentiginosa brasiliensis Tommasi & de Oliveira, 1976 is reportedly restricted to the waters between S„o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.

Depth: (?12)100–275 (?316) m ( Cherbonnier 1965, Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999, herein), though the tropical subspecies H. lentiginosa enodis was reported from depths as shallow as 8 m ( Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999) and as deep as 450 m ( Miller & Pawson 1979); AZO: (?130)208–275(?316) m.

Habitat: sand, coralligenous, detritic to rock (Ruzafa et al. 1992b).

Larval stage: probably planktotrophic (inferred from the genus, see McEdward & Miner 2001).

Material examined: DBUA-ECH 388 (off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’30”N, 25°20’49”W, 2009.09. 24, 208 m; 1 spm, TL = 125 mm); DBUA-ECH 389 (off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’30”N, 25°20’49”W, 2009.09. 24, 208 m; 3 spm, TL = 120–150 mm); DBUA-ECH 391(off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’31”N, 25°20’14”W, 2011.07. 15, 275 m; 1 spm, TL = 140 mm).

Description: body almost cylindrical, flattened ventrally. Body wall soft and relatively thick. Mouth subventral with 20 peltate tentacles (cauliflower-like); anal opening dorsal. On each side of the body one dorsal and one lateral longitudinal row of seven to ten well-developed large conical papillae. Lateral papillae slightly larger than the dorsal papillae. Ventral surface with numerous tube feet in three longitudinal rows, the central one divided at the mid-line. Table discs not smooth (with small external projections); table with tetrabasal spires of moderate width and height, crowned by numerous teeth. Buttons smooth, frequently contorted and with obliterated or incomplete perforations; buttons frequently with small knobs. Colour: lateral surface of the body cream white with numerous small dark brown spots (tube feet); towards the dorsal mid-line dorsal surface becomes gradually light brown (DBUA 388) or brown (DBUA 391); brown somewhat irregular and inconspicuous spots at the base of the dorsal papillae (with cream coloured tips); lateral papillae cream coloured as the body; ventrally, outer longitudinal row white with dark brown spots around the tube feet, inner row light brown with dark brown spots also around the tube feet; tentacles cream coloured.

Remarks: Marenzeller (1892, 1893) described a new species of sea cucumbers based on a partially damaged and eviscerated animal (160 mm TL) taken in Azorean waters, between Pico and Faial islands, at about 130 m deep (Hirondelle, sta 226). However, the accompanying echinoderms found in the same dredge indicate that the station’s depth likely was much shallower than the reported 130 m (see remarks under Pawsonia saxicola and Thyone inermis ). Regardless, H. lentiginosa was not seen in the Azores for more than 100 years. The Third International Workshop of Malacology and Marine Biology offered a rare opportunity to survey the least known waters of the archipelago, by dredging depths between the maximum scuba diving (= 30–60 m) and the typical depths explored by the oceanographic cruises (Ξ 150–250 m). Two of the least known littoral holothurians were captured: H. lentiginosa and Parastichopus regalis ( Cuvier, 1817) (see remarks under this species) from depths between 208 and 275 m.

The new material agrees in most aspects with the original description and illustrations by Marenzeller (1892, 1893), except for the presence of a double row of well-developed dark brown dorsal papillae in our individuals. However, the poor preservation of the type specimen could account for this small difference. In the examined material both colour and size of the dorsal papillae became quite imperceptible (retracted) during preservation (96% ethanol) ( Figs. 37A, B ). Furthermore, Miller & Pawson (1979) commented that colour could be lost in preserved specimens. No greenish-yellow hue was observed in the lateral surface of the specimens, a feature observed by Cherbonnier (1958) in animals from Sierra Leone. Nevertheless, the dorsal dark spots presented by material from the Azores ( Figs. 37C, D ) were rather small and inconspicuous when compared with the figures presented by Miller & Pawson (1979) for H. lentiginosa enodis . The Azorean animals also presented a well-developed dorsolateral longitudinal row of papillae (though becoming greatly retracted during preservation), which is apparently absent in the Caribbean subspecies. This species can be easily distinguished from other sea-cucumbers belonging to this genus recorded in the archipelago by its colour pattern. For example, H. sanctori can present ( Fig. 36D ) the same colour range as this species but arranged in a quite different pattern, i. e. dark brown with yellowish rings in opposition to cream with small dark brown spots, respectively.

In the West Atlantic H. lentiginosa was divided in two subspecies: H. lentiginosa brasiliensis described by Tommasi & de Oliveira (1976) from south Brazilian waters and H. lentiginosa enodis described by Miller & Pawson (1979) to the Caribbean waters. The Brazilian subspecies was described based on colour differences, as the animals presented a darker colour with large dark dorsal blotches. The ossicles in the Brazilian subspecies agreed with Marenzeller’s original description. On the other hand, the Caribbean variety was raised fundamentally on ossicle morphology differences, as Miller & Pawson (1979) considered colour differences or papillae distribution as minor variations. Surprisingly, Pérez-Ruzafa et al. (1999) recorded both H. lentiginosa lentiginosa and H. lentiginosa enodis from Cape Verde shallow waters (12–22 m and 8–20 m depth, respectively) without offering any description of the examined material. The new material from the Azores (type area) herein examined reinforces Miller & Pawson (1979) ’s opinion that colour variation should not be used as a diagnostic character as it is subject to local variation and may not survive the preservation process. Thus, the status of the H. lentiginosa subspecies should be re-addressed, comparing material throughout its geographical distribution on both sides of the Atlantic. Additionally, in 2009 during the expedition by EMEPC, ROV Luso captured footage portraying two holothurians likely to belong to this species, one south of S„o Miguel Island in the Azores (L09D20R, 37°43'15"N. 25°48'24W ", 316 m; see Fig. 37F ) and another in Gorringe Seabank (sta L09D09L1, 36°42'46"N, 11°10'2.30"W, 145 m; see Fig. 37G ).

Figures

FIGURE 36. Holothuria (Platyperona) sanctori Delle Chiaje, 1823 (DBUA-ECH 320: A, B, E; DBUA-ECH 402: C; DBUA- ECH 405: D; DBUA-ECH 398: E). Dorsal view (A, C); ventral view (B); specimen, when alive (D); ossicles (E).

FIGURE 37. Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa lentiginosa Marenzeller, 1892 (DBUA-ECH 388: A–E). Dorsal view (A, C); ventral view (B, D); specimen, when alive (C, D); ossicles (E); holothurians most likely belonging to H. lentiginosa in situ in Azores (EMEPC–LUSO, 37°43'15"N, 25°48'24"W, 2009.10.08, 316 m: F) and Gorringe Bank (EMEPC–LUSO, 36°42'46"N, 11°10'02"W, 2009.09.13, 145 m: G).