Paracaudina cuprea O’Loughlin and Barmos sp. nov.

Figures 11a, b, 12a, 13

Caudina chilensis . — Joshua, 1914: 6 (part).— Joshua and Creed 1915: 21–22 (part). (non Molpadia chilensis Müller, 1850)

Caudina australis .— Mortensen, 1925: 364–367, figs 46c, 47a. (non Molpadia australis Semper, 1868)

Paracaudina australis . — Hickman, 1962: 63–64, figs106–130, pl. 2 fig. 9.— Rowe, 1982: 472 (part), pl. 32.3.— Rowe and Gates, 1995: 264 (part). (non Molpadia australis Semper, 1868)

Material examined. Holotype. Victoria, Corner Inlet, Sunday Island, mudflat, MRG, 15 Mar 2004, NMV F157396.

Paratypes. Corner Inlet, Port Welshpool, in sediment, MRG, 5 Mar 2010, NMV F169322 (2).

Other material. Victoria, Seaspray, 8 Mar 1977, AM J10610 (1) ; Westernport Bay, San Remo, 2 Apr 1972, NMV F169346 (1) ; Shoreham, 30 Mar 1902, NMV F169344 (1) (removed from Shoreham lot 60669–71 / H19 (3) examined in part by Joshua 1914) ; Portland Bay, 27–35 m, 29 Aug 1975, NMV F76073 (1) ; NMV F174890 (1) . Tasmania, Seven-mile Beach, 13 Aug 1956, AM J7195 (1) ; Roches Beach, 6 Mar 1974, AM J8437 (4) . South Australia, 24 Jun 1924, SAM K2504 (1); St Vincent Gulf, mixed localities, Aug 1886, SAM K1381 (13) ; Port Stanvac, dredged 16 m, 6 Feb 1991, SAM K2495 (12) ; SAM K2498 (1); Apr 1991, 17 m, SAM K2503 (1); Brighton Beach, 3 Jul ? 1916, SAM K2506 (2) ; Port Lincoln, 5 m, 22 Aug 1975, SAM K2492 (1) . Western Australia, AM J2341 (1; no additional data); AM J2342 (1; no additional data); Rottnest I., 146–155 m, 15 Aug 1962, WAM Z8977 (1) ; 139–145 m, 12 Aug 1962, WAM Z8979 (1); 183–188 m, 14 Aug 1962, WAM Z8981 (1); 146 m, 10 Aug 1962, WAM Z8985 (1).

Diagnosis. Paracaudina species up to 153 mm long (F169346, preserved), main body 144 mm long, width up to 55 mm, tail 9 mm long; cylindrical body sharply tapered at ends to pointed oral end, discrete short narrow caudal end / tail; thick, firm, leathery body wall, smooth, slight wrinkling at oral and anal ends, variable transverse creasing; live and preserved colour variably rusty, orange, copper, yellow, some off-white patches; oval yellow phosphatic bodies present, up to 40 µm long; mid-body ossicles irregular, variable, round to oval small plates, flat to slightly concave, margin and surface smooth or with pointed spines or knobs, knobs sometimes joined to create secondary layering, up to 12 irregular perforations, frequently with large central perforation and or lacking surrounding perforations, central perforation bridged by 1 or 3 or 4 arms, rarely chilensis - like and bridged by cross on one side and box on other side, ossicles up to about 60 µm long.

Type locality. Victoria, Corner Inlet, Sunday Island, intertidal sediments .

Distribution. Southern Australia, from eastern Victoria (Seaspray), south to Tasmania, and west to Rottnest Island (off Perth); 0– 188 m.

Etymology. From the Latin cupreus (copper), referring to the coppery, rusty colour of live and preserved specimens

Remarks. The diagnostic characters that distinguish the new species Paracaudina cuprea O’Loughlin and Barmos are the distinctive body form with discrete, short narrow tail, the rusty and orange colour, absence of mid-body wall rods, and the predominance of irregular, perforated plate ossicles frequently with irregularly bridged central perforation and with blunt marginal and surface spines and knobs.

Joshua 1914 determined a 100 mm long specimen (seen here, F169344) from “Mordialloc” on Port Phillip Bay as Caudina chilensis (Müller), but reported that it tapered sharply posteriorly and could not be described as caudate. Colour was yellow, blotched with brownish pink. The cross in the ossicles was frequently lost by fusion with the disc. He was referring to a specimen of the new species Paracaudina cuprea O’Loughlin and Barmos. As discussed in the Remarks under P. bacillis (above) we judge from specimen labels that the specimen came from Shoreham on Westernport Bay, not “Mordialloc”. Although they determined specimens from South Australia as Caudina chilensis (Müller), Joshua and Creed 1915 described some of them as being up to 125 mm long, lacking the caudate character of the species, and yellow with patches of rusty red in colour. They were referring to specimens of the new species Paracaudina cuprea . Hickman 1962 also described and illustrated (as P. australis) the new species Paracaudina cuprea . Rowe 1982 (pl. 32.3) also illustrated this new species (as P. australis), and in describing the colour of southern Australian specimens as “rusty pink and brown” was referring to the new species Paracaudina cuprea . Mortensen 1925 based his discussion of Paracaudina australis on SAM specimens. Based on Mortensen’s figures we judge that these specimens were our new species Paracaudina cuprea .