Tromikosoma koehleri Mortensen, 1903

Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias & Ávila, Sérgio P., 2019, The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean), Zootaxa 4639 (1), pp. 1-231 : 121

Tromikosoma koehleri Mortensen, 1903

Reports for the Azores:

Tromikosoma cf. koehleri Mortensen, 1903 — $ Mironov 2008: 4, tab. 1;

Tromikosoma koehleri Mortensen, 1903 —Mironov 2014: 122.

Type locality: Davis Strait.

See: Mortensen (1935: 167–168, fig. 100, pl. 5).

Occurrence: North Atlantic, from the Davis Strait ( Mortensen 1903) south to the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone and north of the Azores ( Mironov 2008).

Depth: 2,517–3,527 m ( AZO: 2,954–2,968 m; Mironov 2008) .

Habitat: probably a bottom-feeder living on soft sediments.

Remarks: Tromikosoma koehleri was only known from its type locality. More recently, Mironov (2008) reported this species among the material collected by G.O. Sars ( MAR–ECO expedition) in the Charles-Gibbs Fracture Zone. The same author listed material likely to belong to this rare species collected at stations located in the northern waters of the Azores (G.O. Sars, MAR–ECO cruise, sta 40/367: 42°55”N, 30°20”W, 2,954 –2,968 m). Later, however, Mironov (2014) placed the MAR-ECO ’ station from the Azores in the geographical distribution of this species. Mironov also added that this species is very closely related to T. uranus also known from the Atlantic (see below). Both species are known from very little material, and may prove to be identical.