Pseudocnella insolens ( Théel, 1886 )

Thandar, Ahmed S., 2008, Additions to the holothuroid fauna of the southern African temperate faunistic provinces, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1697 (1), pp. 1-57 : 22-23

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.1697.1.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/DE2087C7-F535-8751-A0AD-F3FC93EA5E52

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Pseudocnella insolens ( Théel, 1886 )
status

 

Pseudocnella insolens ( Théel, 1886) View in CoL

Figure 9 View FIGURE 9

Cucumaria insolens Théel, 1886:760 View in CoL , pl. 4, fig. 5.

Pseudocnella insolens Thandar, 1987:129 View in CoL (syn. & records), figs.1d and 14f; 1991:129, figs. 1d & 14f.

Type: NHML.

Type locality Simon’s Bay , WCP, 18-36 m.

Material examined

Typical form

SAM-A27993, UCT Ecol. Survey, Saldanha Bay , St. SB 174, 33 o 2.8' S, 18 o 0.6' E, 15 m, 27.iv.1959, 3 spec. , SAM-A27994, St. SCD 197 , 34 o 7.5' S, 23 o 31.7' E, 79 m, dredge, 29.ix.1960, 1 spec. GoogleMaps , SAM-A27995, RV ‘Africana’, Hake Biomass Survey, A14826.111.082.287, 34 o 08' S, 23 o 51' E, 94 m, bottom trawl, 3.v.1993, 17 spec.

Atypical form 1

SAM-A27996, UCT Ecol. Surv. St. SCD 195 , 34 o 7.5' S, 23 o 31.7' E, 29.xi. 1960, 79 m, 14 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM- A27997 View Materials , St. SCD 226 , 34 o 21' S, 22 o 50' E, 29.xi. 1960, 79 m, 17 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM-A27998, St. SCD 177, 34 o 7.5' S, 23 o 31.7' E, 30.xi. 1960, 110 m, 3 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM-A27999, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Inshore Biomass and Horse Mackerel Survey, St. A 15259.116.075.2254, 34 o 21' S, 22 o 50' E, 18.ix. 1993, 89 m, 30 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM- A28000, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Hake Biomass Survey, St. A. 14814.111.070.2254, 34 o 20' S, 23 o 31' E, 1.v. 1993, 94 m, 7 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM-A28001, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Demersal Biomass Survey, St. A 18130.135.059.22851, 34 o 06' S, 23 o 49' E, 25.iv. 1996, 91 m, 3 spec. GoogleMaps

Atypical form 2

SAM-A28002, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Biomass Survey, St A 18130.135.059.2285, 34 o 06' S, 23 o 49' E, 25.iv. 1996, 91 m, 10 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM-A28003, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Biomass Survey, St. A 18141.135- 064.2295, 34 o 11' S, 24 o 32' E, 26.iv. 1996, 91 m, 14 spec GoogleMaps ; SAM-A28004, SS ‘ Pieter Faure’, St. PF 1938, Cape St. Blaize, NW N 30 miles, 22.xii. 1899, 95 m, 7 spec ; SAM-A28005, probably off Cape Point, 1900, no further data, 38 spec.

Atypical form 3

SAM-A28006, R.V. ‘ Africana’ South Coast Biomass Survey, St.A 18130.135.059.2285, 34 06' S, 23 o 49' E, 34 06' S, 23 o 49' E, 25.iv. 1996, 91 m, 2 spec. GoogleMaps

Distribution: Luderitz, Namibia to Port Elizabeth, ECP, 0- 110 m.

Remarks:

This well-known southern African temperate endemic, has been described several times (a.o. Théel 1886, Cherbonnier 1952, Thandar 1987). A brief history of its confused taxonomic status was presented by Thandar (1987) who also clarified the status of the other related southern African endemics, P. sykion and P. sinorbis , erecting the genus Pseudocnella to accommodate them and the Mediterranean P. syracusana . Thandar (1987, 1991) recorded its vertical distribution as 0- 40 m. The current SAM materials, previously studied by Natasen Moodley (2000), come from depths up to 110 m. This species is said to be a brood-protecting but brood pouches have this far only been detected and described by Cherbonnier (1952), in material taken from shallow waters of Simon’s Bay and False Bay ( WCP) and verified by Thandar (1987) in the Simon’s Bay material. Despite the study of numerous (438) specimens by Thandar (1987) from shallow waters, and by Natasen Moodley (2000) (192 specimens) from deeper waters, no further specimens with brood pouches were detected. This raises the question whether we are dealing with a polytypic species, like Thyonina articulata (see above). In fact, Natasen Moodley (2000), on the basis of variations in the large plates of the body wall and in the podial and tentacle deposits, recognizes four forms of the species, including the typical form. Her observations are summarized in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 9 View FIGURE 9 . However, before any steps are taken to separate the different forms, some information is needed on age and depth variations, habits/habitat preferences and aspects of ecology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Such studies are beyond the scope of this paper.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Echinodermata

Class

Holothuroidea

Order

Dendrochirotida

Family

Cucumariidae

Genus

Pseudocnella

Loc

Pseudocnella insolens ( Théel, 1886 )

Thandar, Ahmed S. 2008
2008
Loc

Pseudocnella insolens

Thandar, A. S. 1987: 129
1987
Loc

Cucumaria insolens Théel, 1886:760

Theel, H. 1886: 760
1886
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