Echinocyamus grandiporus Mortensen, 1907

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 : 130-132

Echinocyamus grandiporus Mortensen, 1907

( Fig. 31 )

Reports for the Azores:

p.p. Echinocyamus pusillus Gray— $ Koehler 1898: 24; Echinocyamus grandiporus $ Mortensen, 1907: 33–36 , fig. 2a, pl. 12, figs. 1, 3, 5, 8, 10–16, 21, 25, 28; $ Koehler 1909: 234, pl.

4, fig. 8; Mortensen 1927a: 315, 1948: 183; $ Mironov & Sagaidachny 1984: 183–184, fig. 2(1); García-Diez et al. 2005:

51; Mironov 2006: 113–114; Madeira et al. 2011: 255; Benavides-Serrato et al. 2012: 99.

See: Mortensen (1907); Mironov (2006).

Occurrence: North Atlantic; from Florida to Brazil ( Tommasi 1966, Benavides-Serrato et al. 2012), eastwards to off Mauritania ( Mortensen 1927b), the Azores ( Koehler 1909) and Canaries archipelagos; also reported from the Antialtair, Josephine, Gorringe and Meteor seamounts ( Mironov 2006).

Depth: 110– 2,310 m ( Mortensen 1927 b, Mironov & Sagaidachny 1984); AZO: 320– 1,385 m ( Koehler 1909, Mironov & Sagaidachny 1984).

Habitat: typically from soft substrates (sand to gravel; Koehler 1909).

Material examined: EMEPC-LUSO L09D17B68R (E of TER, AZO, 38°40’07”N, 26°51’27”W, 2009.09. 30, 460 m; 1 bt, TL = 7 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D22S1 (D. Jo„o de Castro Bank, AZO, c. 38°14’02”N, 26°33’37”W, 2009.10.09, 718–825 m; 4 bts, D = 4–5 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D22S2 (D. Jo„o de Castro Bank, AZO, c. 38°13’52”N, 26°33’58”W, 2009.10.09, 476–718 m; 2 bts, TL = 4–5 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D22S3 (D. Jo„o de Castro Bank, AZO, c. 38°13’52”N, 26°33’58”W, 2009.10.09, 476–718 m; 1 bt, TL = 4 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D25B14 (Channel SJG–PIX, AZO, 38°36’19.09”N, 28°06’46.64”W, 2009.10.21, 1,180 m; 1 bt, TL = 9 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D25B43 (Channel SJG–PIX, AZO, 38°36’19.09”N, 28°06’46.64”W, 2009.10.21, 1,180 m; 1 spm, TL = 4 mm); EMEPC-LUSO L09D26RB17a (Channel SJG–PIX, AZO, 38°37’32”N, 28°08’23”W, 2006.10.23; 2 bts, TL = 3–4 mm).

Description: test oval (width = 85–90%TL) and relatively low (height = 36–45%TL). Five ocular pores forming a circle with four genital pores; ocular pores as large as the genital pores, though distinctly narrowing inwards; madreporic plate a little elevated with a central pore skew to the anterior part. Petals short, not reaching the edge of the test; pore-series parallel, with two or three (TL ± 4 mm) in small up to six pore pairs (TL = 9 mm, EMEPC– L09D25B14) in large specimens per row of the posterior ambulacra. Oral area flat. Peristome round to subpentagonal about 20–24%TL. Periproct small (9–11%TL), fully oral and round to transverse oval. Primary spines slender up to 15%TL. Colour: white naked test, also spines (tinge with green after preservation in ethanol).

Remarks: Koehler (1898) examined the rich clyperasteroid material collected by Hirondelle in the Azores, which he reported as all belonging to Echinocyamus pusillus . On erecting a new deep-water species of Echinocyamus, Mortensen (1907) re-examined material from Hirondelle and Princesse Alice and referred part of the specimens to E. grandiporus . Later, Koehler (1909) agreeing with the previous author reported further Azorean material from Princesse Alice under Mortensen’s new species. In a review of this genus, Mironov & Sagaidachny (1984) also examined material E. grandiporus from the Azores. The material examined here further re-enforces the presence of this deep-water species in the Azores. Generally, this species differs from other Echinocyamus species known in the archipelago by its large ocular pores that together with the gonopores form a conspicuous circle. E. grandiporus is further distinct from E. pusillus by the less developed petals ( Mortensen 1907). Mironov (2006) remarked that the close related species E. scaber macrostomus occasionally also features large ocular pores. Nonetheless, this later species can also be separated by having relative larger peristome and periproct and by the rudimentary petals ( Mortensen 1948). See also remarks under E. pusillus .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Echinocyamus grandiporus Mortensen, 1907 (EMEPC–LUSO L09D22S2: A–C; EMEPC–LUSO L09D17B68R: D–F; EMEPC–LUSO L09D25B14: G; EMEPC–LUSO L09D25ARB43: H–I). Apical view (A, D, G, H); oral view (B, E, I); lateral view (C, F).