Protankyra autopista ( Marenzeller, 1882 )

THANDAR, AHMED S., 2007, Additions to the aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the east coast of southern Africa, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1414 (1), pp. 1-62 : 54-56

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.1414.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DC93A9BC-D24E-44AD-99AF-79CACCCFB984

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5077263

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E87BB-FFBB-FFA3-D0A1-8C6AC6B3B992

treatment provided by

Felipe (2021-07-07 02:26:10, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-03 06:27:18)

scientific name

Protankyra autopista ( Marenzeller, 1882 )
status

 

Protankyra autopista ( Marenzeller, 1882) View in CoL

Figure 25 View FIGURE 25 (A–F)

Synapta autopista Marenzeller, 1882:123 View in CoL , pl. IV, fig. 3.

Protankyra autopista H.L. Clark, 1907:103 View in CoL , pl. V, fig. 31; Ohshima, 1913:505, fig. 6; 1914:505, fig. 6; Heding, 1928:264, fig. 49, 1–6; Cherbonnier, 1968:3, fig. a–w.

Type Not determined .

Type locality Bay of Miya , Japan .

Previous southern African record None

Material examined

SAM-A27950 , S.E. of Sodwana Bay , KZN, 27° 35.6' S, 32° 41.6' E GoogleMaps , NMDP, St. ZH 27, 2 vi 1990, 62 m., anterior fragment only .

Description

Fragment 32 x 4 mm, uniformly whitish, papillae absent. Tentacles 12, whitish, longest 1 mm, each with four terminal digits of unequal size. Polian vesicle single; stone canal not detected. Body wall spicules as short robust anchors, irregular to quadrangular anchor plates and small basket-like buttons/plates; radial muscles with minute spherical to oval miliary granules. Anchors ( Figure 25A View FIGURE 25 ) 100–116 µm long (mean 108 µm), distance between arms 88–103 µm (mean 97 µm), each arm with 0–2 terminal teeth, vertex slightly concave, shaft thick, stock finely branched. Anchor plates ( Figure 25B View FIGURE 25 ) 91–103 µm (mean 98 µm) long, 59–84 µm (mean 76 µm) wide, with 36–52 smooth holes, with central holes always the larger. Buttons ( Figure 25D View FIGURE 25 ) 25– 44 µm (mean 32 µm) with 4–7 holes, a thick rim and a 4–6 armed base with minute knobs distally, or knobs absent. Miliary granules 9–22 µm (mean 17 µm) ( Figure 25C View FIGURE 25 ). Tentacles with similar granules or rods, 16–22 µm (mean 19 µm) in stalk ( Figure 25F View FIGURE 25 ), 22–56 µm (mean 35 µm) at tips ( Figure 25E View FIGURE 25 ), but more elongate and of diverse shapes.

Distribution Japan, Red Sea, east coast of South Africa.

Habitat Shell rubble.

Remarks

Apart from its type locality this species has been reported from Japan by at least three other workers ( Britten 1907; Ohshima 1913, 1914 & Heding 1928). The only record outside Japan is that of Cherbonnier (1968), based on several fragments from the Red Sea. There are slight differences between the southern African material and that coming from Japan and the Red Sea. Japanese material is described as reddish while that of the Red Sea as pinkish. In both the teeth of the anchor arms are absent or poorly developed and the knobs on the baskets faint or absent. These differences may be just geographic variations in distantly separated populations and thus of little significance in trying to separate the southern form.

I am in agreement with Heding (1928) that this species is easily distinguished from its congenors. However, Marenzeller (1882) is of the opinion that it bears a strong resemblance to P.molesta Semper, 1868 from the Philippines, a species thought by H.L. Clark (1907), to be a synonymous with P. bidentata Woodward & Barrett, 1858 and by Heding (1928) with P. pseudodigitata Semper, 1868 . The distinguishing features of this species are its robust anchors, irregular anchor plates and smooth to finely knobbed basket-like buttons. It is remarkable that this Japanese species has such a wide distribution but more and complete material is necessary to draw any distinction between the Japanese population and that coming from the West Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea.

Britten, M. (1907) Holothurien aus dem Japanischen und Ochotskischen Meere. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, (5) 25, 123 - 157.

Cherbonnier, G. (1968) Sur la presence d'holothuries diverses et, en particulier, de l'holothurie apode Protankyra autopista Marenzeller, en Mer Rouge. Bulletin Sea Fisheries Research Station, Haifa, 51, 3 - 5.

Clark, H. L. (1907) The apodous holothurians. A monograph of the Synaptidae and Molpadiidae. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, 35, 1 - 231, pls. 1 - 13.

Heding, S. G. (1928) Synaptidae. Papers from Dr. Th. Mortensen's Pacific Expedition 1924 - 1916. Videnskabelige Meddellelser fra Dansk naturhistorisk Forening i Kobenhaven, 85, 105 - 323, 69 text-figs., pls 2 - 3.

Marenzeller, E. von (1882) Neue Holothurien von Japan and China. Verhandlungen. Zoologische-Botanisch Gesselschaft in Wien, 31, 121 - 140, pls. 4, 5.

Ohshima, H. (1913) Synaptiden von Misaki. Zoological Magazine, Tokyo, 25, 253 - 262.

Ohshima, H. (1914) The Synaptidae of Japan. Annotationes Zoologicae Japanenses, 8 (1) 53 - 96, 7 figs., 1 pl.

Semper, C. (1868) Holothurien. Reisen im Archipel der Philippen. Holothurien. 2. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Wiesbaden, Leipzig, 288 pp.

Woodward, S. P. & Barrett, L. (1858) On the genus Synapta. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1858, 1 - 8.

Gallery Image

FIGURE 25. (A–F) Protankyra autopista (Marenzeller, 1881). SAM–A27950. A. anchors from body wall; B. anchor plates from body wall; C. miliary granules from longitudinal muscle; D. buttons from body wall; E. rods from tentacle tip; F. rods and granules from tentacle stalk. (G–M) Protankyra sp. SAM-A27951. G. anchor from anterior body wall; H. military granules from longitudinal muscle; I. anchor plate; J. ciliary urns; K. rods from anterior body wall; L. enlargement of anchor stocks; M. enlargement of anchor arms. (A–F & H scale a; G & I scale b; L & M scale c; K scale d)

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Echinodermata

Class

Holothuroidea

Order

Apodida

Family

Synaptidae

Genus

Protankyra