Phascolosoma perlucens Baird, 1868

Dean, Harlan K., Hernández-Ávila, Iván & Cutler, Edward B., 2007, Sipunculans of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Curaçao, Zootaxa 1431, pp. 45-54 : 49

Phascolosoma perlucens Baird, 1868

Physcosoma microdentigerum ten Broeke, 1925:88–89.

Phascolosoma perlucens Baird, 1868:90 –91. – Rice, 1975:37 –42.

Specimens collected:

CURA Ç AO: EBC – STA 301: 29/xii/87; Carambi Institute in front of laboratory; (3). STA 302: 29/xii/87; 12º08’ N, 68º 59’ W; Piscadera Bay, swimming beach at entrance to bay; (158). STA 304: 30/xii/87; Caracas Bay, west side, higher wave energy near mouth; (126). STA 305: 31/xii/87; 12º04’ N, 68º53’ W; Caracas Bay, along causeway on ocean side; (26). STA 307: 1/i/88; Open water west of Princess beach hotel, south side of island; (54). STA 308: 1/i/88; Baibara Beach, east side of outlet to Spaansche water; (18). STA 309: 2/i/88; 12º 0 5’ N, 68º 54’ W; Jan Thiel Baai, La Goen; (1).

CUBAGUA ISLAND: IHA – STA PC3E2: 16/xii/03; 10º 48’14.7’’ N, 64º 9’ 53.76’’ W; Las Iguanas Beach, rocks disperse in an sandy area; (3). STA PC30E4: 25/ix/04; 10º 49’22.62’’ N, 64º 8’ 22.14’’ W; Punta La Cabecera, living and dead Millepora in Thalassia beds (1). STA PC38E5: 18/iii/04; 10º 47’56.76’’ N, 64º 12’7.5’’ W; La Vaquita Beach, living Millepora and Diploria corals, rocks disperse (3). STA PC39E4: 22/i/04; 10º 48’4.98’’ N, 64º 12’ 12.42’’ W; Barranca Blanca, rocks and corals disperse (2).

CUMAN Á: EBC – STA 310: 4/i/88; 9º 16’ N, 64º 24’ W; Mochima bay, Playa Blanca; (4). STA 311: 5/i/88; Playa Colarada, west of Mochima; (92). STA 312: 6/i/88: 10º27’ N 68º09’W; At Galita near Playa Quetepe, east of Cumaná; (17). STA 313: 7/i/88; Playa Colarado, west of Mochima; (84).

LOS ROQUES ARCHIPELAGO: EBC – STA 317: 12/i/88; Isla Dos Mosquises Sur, Cayo off Southeast corner in outer Acropora reef; (21). STA 318: 12/i/88; Island of conche shells 5 minutes off Souhwest corner of Isla Dos Mosquises; (17).

Remarks. Phascolosoma perlucens has 15–25 rings of hooks on the introvert and is easily identified by the characteristic rounded hump on the concave side of the hooks.

Distribution. Members of the genus Phascolosoma are found in burrows, crevices or sandy pockets in rocky, shallow warm waters. Phascolosoma perlucens has a circumtropical distribution including the Caribbean from Florida ( USA) to Venezuela, as well as both sides of the Pacific and the Indian Oceans ( Cutler, 1994). Rice (1975) collected P. perlucens from sites on Margarita Island, Cubagua Island and Los Totumos in Venezuela and Piscadera Baai and Spaansche Water in Curaçao.