Actinopyga, Rowe & Richmond, 2004

Rowe, Frank & Richmond, Matthew, 2004, A preliminary account of the shallow-water echinoderms of Rodrigues, Mauritius, western Indian Ocean, Journal of Natural History 38 (23), pp. 3273-3314 : 3299-3300

Actinopyga sp. nov.

Material. One specimen, Grand Baie, reef crest 22.09.01; one specimen, Grande Baie, 16.09.01 (tiny yellow teeth, 1 cm papillae all over (dorsal) body); one specimen, Graviers, upper shore, under stones 19.01.01.

Colouration. Cream with irregular light to dark brown patches (see figure 9 ).

Comments. The body tapers from the anterior to the posterior end. Tube feet occur regularly distributed on the ventral surface, but elongate, extended, modified tube feet are scattered on the dorsal surface. Five small, but prominent, terminal tube-feet, packed with spicules surround the anal opening. Spicules comprise delicate rods in the wall of the ventral tube-feet, with the terminal disc containing a multi-fractured terminal plate. Fine, delicate rods and rosettes occur elsewhere in the ventral and dorsal body wall and modified dorsal tubefeet. There is a single, small terminal plate at the tip of these dorsal tube-feet. Two of the specimens are very contracted, but the third (Grand Baie, 16.09.01) is more or less relaxed in preservation and measures 120 mm long 6 30 mm wide (at about mid-length). Internal investigation reveals the presence of three typical Actinopyga - type cuvierian tubules, each with a proximal trunk section from which arises a pair of primary branches and a subsequent secondary branch; and each attached separately to the base of the respiratory tree. The body shape, form and arrangement of the dorsal modified tube-feet and spicule complement are all distinctive and set this species apart from others in the genus Actinopyga .

Distribution. Possibly widespread in the Indo-west Pacific region. Although the present collection is from Rodrigues, evidence (including photographic evidence) shows this species also occurs in Mauritius (as Labidodemas semperianum ( Selenka, 1867) , Araraki and Fagoonee, 1996; as Bohadschia subrubra (Quoy and Gaimard, 1833) , Muller, 1998, unpublished MSc Thesis) and Philippines (as? Actinopyga sp. , Erhardt and Baensch, 2000 (p. 960)).

Bohadschia vitiensis (Semper, 1868) See : Panning, 1944: 40 (as Bohadschia marmorata vitiensis ); Clark and Rowe, 1971:

176 (distribution); Cherbonnier, 1988: 42; Samyn and Vanden Berghe, 2000: 21

(as Bohadschia marmorata (Jaeger, 1833)) ; Conand and Mangion, 2002: 28;

Rowe and Richmond, 2002: 312.

Material. Two specimens from Ile aux Chats, in large, open, sandy patch, 1 m (but probably dries on very low spring tides).

Colouration. Pale creamy/uniformly orange all over (see figure 10 ).

Comments. In preserved state the colour of these specimens has faded to grey dorsally and a distinctly paler grey ventrally. However, the dorsal and ventral tube-feet are basally encircled by a darker ring, a characteristic colour pattern of the species (e.g. see Panning, 1944; Cherbonnier, 1988). The spicule complement is also that described for the species by Panning (1944) and Cherbonnier (1988).

Distribution. Apparently widespread throughout the Indo-west Pacific region, though not recorded from Hawaii or from Red Sea east to the Maldives. Recent records (e.g. Cherbonnier (1988), Samyn and Vanden Berghe (2000) and Conand and Mangion (2002)) have extended the range westward to the Mascarene Islands and East Africa.

Holothuria (Cystipus) rigida ( Selenka, 1867) See : Clark and Rowe, 1971: 176 (distribution); Cherbonnier, 1988: 126; Sloan et al.,

1979: 121; Price, 1983: 89; Clark, 1984: 99; Liao and Clark, 1995: 434; Samyn

and Vanden Berghe, 2000: 21.

Material. One specimen, Totor Reef, among sand off reef, 7 m; one specimen, Coton Baie, in sand.

Coloration. Typically pale creamy brown, with sand-embedded surface giving a coarse feel when handled.

Distribution. Known throughout the Indo-west Pacific (but not so far recorded from the coasts of Pakistan, western India, Sri Lanka, Bay of Bengal or from Hawaii) as well as the west coast of North America, Panamic region and Caribbean.

Holothuria (Halodeima) atra (Jaeger, 1833)

See: Clark and Rowe, 1971: 176 (distribution); Cherbonnier, 1988: 73.

Material. Common in many parts of the lagoon and reef crests, especially from the more sheltered locations of Baladirou and Grand Baie.

Coloration. Characteristically black, with a covering of silt and sand, but leaving six or more pairs of bare patches of body wall on the anterior half on the dorsal side of the body.

Figures

FIGS 2–16. (2) Stephanometra indica (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (3) Gomophia watsoni (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (4) ‘Asterina’ sp. 1. (M. Richmond). (5) ‘Asterina’ sp. 2. (M. Richmond). (6) Ophiocoma brevipes (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (7) Ophiocoma dentata (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (8). Microcyphus maculatus (M. Richmond). (9) Bohadschia sp. 1 (M. Richmond). (10). Bohadschia sp. 2 (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (11)?Bohadschia sp. 3 (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (12) Holothuria impatiens s. s. (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (13) Holothuria impatiens bicolor. (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (14) Holothuria impatiens concolor. (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (15) Psolidium ornatum (# RGS/Jeremy Neech). (16) Plesiocolochirus dispar (# RGS/Jeremy Neech).