Isostichopus badionotus ( Selenka, 1867 )

Pawson, David L., Pawson, Doris J. & King, Rachael A., 2010, A taxonomic guide to the Echinodermata of the South Atlantic Bight, USA: 1. Sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), Zootaxa 2449, pp. 1-48 : 34-35

Isostichopus badionotus ( Selenka, 1867)

Figure 6 f, 27

Stichopus badionotus Selenka, 1867: 316 , pl. 18 fig. 20; Deichmann, 1930: 80, pl. 5, figs. 30–36. Isostichopus badionotus .— Hendler et al. 1995: 280, figs 156, 187G – I.

Stichopus macroparentheses H.L. Clark, 1922: 61 , pl. 1 figs. 1–7.— Deichmann, 1930: 82, pl. 5 figs. 37–43. Isostichopus macroparentheses .— Pawson, 1976: 374, fig. 1D.

Material examined. USNM E9808, S.C., Racoon Key, July 3, 1963. USNM E22529 , S.C., 53 miles ESE of Port Royal Sound, 32°03'N, 79° 49 30'W, R/V Pelican, Sta 181-13, Feb. 3, 1940, 26m. USNM E22900, S.C., 32°42'N, 78°52'W, R/V Silver Bay, Sta 8B-1370, October 21, 1959, 17–19fm. USNM E27835 , off Georgia, 30°53’48”N, 80°36’24”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS03, August 22, 1980, 33m. USNM E27836, off S.C., 31°43’36”N, 80°13’18”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS01, Aug. 20, 1980, 27m. USNM E27837, off Georgia, 31°40’54”N, 80°20’42”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS02, August 12, 1980, 28m. USNM E28212 , off Georgia, 30°53’48”N, 80°36’ 18”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS03, August 22, 1980, 35m. USNM E28560, off Georgia, 31°41’ 06”N, 80°20’54”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS02, August 12, 1980, 28m. USNM E28588 , off Georgia, 30°53’24”N, 80°36’24”W, R/V Dolphin Sta MS03, March 12, 1980, 37m, 3. USNM E33178 , Florida, 56.5 Nautical miles E, 30°11'N, 80°15'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta138, April 27, 1983, 64m. USNM E33179 , Florida, 38.5 Nautical miles E, 29°43'N, 80°29'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 111, April 25, 1983, 36.6-34.8m. USNM E33180 , Florida, 34.5 Nautical miles E, 29°30'N, 80°29'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 100, April 24, 1983, 29.3m. USNM E33181 Florida, 50.5 Nautical miles E, 29°40'N, 80°16'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 109, April 25, 1983, 64m. USNM E33182 , Florida, 31 Nautical miles E, 30°20'N, 80°48'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 116, April 25, 1983, 32–35m, 5. USNM E39041, Florida, East of Cape Canaveral, 28° 15 00'N, 79° 54 54'W, R/V Oregon II Sta 45151, March 21, 1987, 183m. USNM E41654, East of Georgia, 30°41’00”N, 80°20’36”W, R/V Oregon Sta MS02, March 9, 1981, 28m. USNM E41655, E of Georgia, 31°40’48”N, 80°20’36”W, R/V Oregon, Sta MS02, April 28, 1981, 28m, 2. USNM E41656, East of S.C., 31°31’36”N, 79°44’48”W, R/V Oregon Sta OS01, August 5, 1981, 58m. USNM E41657, N.C., 33°48’48”N, 76°34’24”W, R/V Eastward, Sta OS05, March 4, 1981, 64m, 2. SERTC 1041,off Anastasia Island, FL, 30º01.51'N, 80º16.61'W, 63 m, coll. MRRI Staff, August 30 2004. SERTC 2132, St Helena Sound, SC, 32º12.40'N, 79º55.52'W, 24.4 m, coll. SERTC Staff, April 29 2005.

Diagnosis. Length up to 450 mm. Color extremely variable, ranging from light brown to blackish, with numerous spots and blotches often present. Body wall extremely thick, with distinct, low warts dorsally and laterally. Dorsal and ventral surface sharply defined by lateral rim of conspicuous papillae. Ventral surface flat, covered with numerous, cylindrical tube feet crowded into three rows. Ossicles include tables (40–60 μm in diameter) and C-shaped ossicles, which are approximately 1–2 times as long as tables are high.

Distribution. NC to TX, Ascension Island, Gulf of Guinea, Bermuda, Bahamas, Belize, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Yucatán.

Habitat. Mud, sand, rocks, seagrass beds, sandy bottoms, deep-water coral reefs. 0– 65m.

Remarks. The relative size of the C-shaped ossicles varies considerably. I. macroparentheses (Clark) was based entirely upon specimens whose C-shaped rods were unusually large. Cutress (1996) showed that Clark’s “species” fell within the range of variation of I. badionotus . This species can vary greatly in color, from very light brownish to black. A common color form is light brown with scattered dark brown spots, hence the commonly used name “chocolate chip sea cucumber”.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Some SERTC holothurians. a) Pentamera pulcherrima; b) Thyonella pervicax; c) Aslia pygmaea; d) Holothuria princeps; e) Actinopyga agassizii; f) Isostichopus badionotus. Scalebars: a = 1 cm; b, c = 2 cm; d, e, f = 5 cm.