Peniagone azorica Marenzeller, 1892

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 : 139

Peniagone azorica Marenzeller, 1892

Reports for the Azores:

Peniagone azorica $ Marenzeller, 1892: 64, 1893: 12–13 , pl. 1, fig. 4, pl. 2, fig. 5; $ Hérouard 1902: 42–43, pl. 6, figs. 21–26; Perrier 1902: 275; Hérouard 1923: 87–88; Mortensen 1927a: 369; Deichmann 1930: 137; Grieg 1932: 8, fig. 4; $ Hansen 1956: 44, 1975: 138–142, fig. 63, pl. 10, figs. 1–3;? $ Pérès 1992: 254; García-Diez et al. 2005: 51.

Type locality: Azores (41°40’41”N, 26°44’09”W) .

See: Marenzeller (1893); Rogacheva et al. (2013: 603–605, figs. 9, 12H, 12I, 17J, 19D).

Occurrence: North Atlantic, from Iceland ( Hansen 1975) south to the Bay of Biscay ( Hérouard 1923) and along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge ( Rogacheva et al. 2013) to the Azores ( Marenzeller 1892).

Depth: 1,385 –4,020 m ( Rogacheva et al. 2013); AZO: 1,385 –4,020 m ( Hérouard 1902, Hansen 1975).

Habitat: frequent swimmer (benthopelagic; Rogacheva et al. 2012); on soft sediments, sand, mud, clay to ooze ( Marenzeller, 1892, Hérouard 1902).

Larval stage: lecithotrophic ( Tyler et al. 1985b).

Remarks: Peniagone azorica was first described by Marenzeller (1892, 1893) based on material collected in Azores by Hirondelle. Hérouard (1902) also identified this species based on material collected in the Azores by Princesse Alice (sta 527: 38°09’N, 23°15’45”W, 4,020 m). In a review of the deep-water holothurioids, Hansen (1956, 1975) re-examined the material collected by Princesse Alice and discover further unreported specimens collected by the same cruise in the Azores. In spite of the Azores being the type locality, no other material belonging to P. azorica is known from the Azorean deep waters. Rogacheva et al. (2012) classified P. azorica as a frequent swimmer, thought spending most of its time feeding on the sea floor.