Thenea grayi var. lateralis Thiele, 1898

(Fig. 6N)

Thenea grayi var. lateralis Thiele, 1898: 28, pl. V figs. 4–4a.

The variety was described by Thiele from Sagami Bay, near Enoshima (D̂derlein’s Map no. 16), approximate coordinates 35.25°N 138.55°E (holotype ZMB 4888). In his 1898 Japan paper Thiele described a large number of Thenea species, in a format that gave first the shared characters he observed collectively in the Japanese Thenea species, and subsequently with the individual species he only emphasized the unique characters. The species T. grayi Sollas (1886: 183, cf. also Sollas, 1888: 65, pl. VI figs. 21–22, originally reported from off Sydney, South East Australia, Challenger Exped. Stat. 164c, 34.3167°S 151.5167°E, depth 732 m, three syntypes BMNH 1889.1.1.26, cf. Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 437) was also reported from Japan by Thiele from a locality in Sagami Bay, near Enoshima (D̂derlein’s [(1883): Map no. 14, approximate coordinates 35.2°N 139° 54°E], close to that of the present variety. There are no spicular differences between T. grayi sensu Thiele, 1898 including the var. lateralis and the typical variety, but there is a distinct difference in shape. Because such differences are not uncommon in Thenea species, I propose to merge the two Japanese varieties of T. grayi with the species Thenea grayi Sollas, 1886 .