Cherbonnier, 1988 : 198 New species and new records of dendrochirotid and dactylochirotid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from off the east coast of South Africa Thandar, Ahmed S. Zootaxa 2006 1245 1 51 56RLP Cherbonnier, 1988 Cherbonnier 1988 [264,689,1724,1750] Holothuroidea Phyllophoridae Thyone Animalia Dendrochirotida 6 7 Echinodermata species comata     Thyone comata  Cherbonnier, 1988: 198–190, fig. 80.    Type  MNHNP, 3592.   Typelocality Tuléar ( Madagascar), 8– 50 m.  Previous South African recordNone  Material examined SAM­A27889, NE of Kosi Bay, KwaZulu­Natal, 26 52.8’ S, 32 54.8’ E, NMDPSt. ZA 33, 3vi 1990, 45 m., 1 spec.; SAM­A27890, 2652.4’ S, 32 55.2’ E, NMDPSt. ZA 38, 3vi 1990, 45–  47 m., 1 spec.; SAM­A27891, Gypsy Hill, Leadsman Shoal, 27 49.7’ S, 32 38.2’ E, ‘Meiring Naude’ St. ZK 1, 8.vi.1988, 47–  50 m., 1 spec.   Description Best preserved specimen (SAM­A27890) swollen anteriorly and in the middle, narrowing posteriorly, posterior end turned upwards. Length of ventral surface excluding turned up posterior end 22 mm( 35 mmincluding posterior end), width of mid­body 8 mm. Largest specimen about 38 mmlong along ventral surface, 10 mmbroad in mid­body. All specimens whitish in colour, including podia. Podia elongated, evenly scattered and often not retracted, slightly more numerous ventrally, giving the skin a villose appearance, sucking discs small. Mouth anterior, anus dorsally directed and in at least two specimens encircled by minute calcareous teeth. Tentacles retracted, number and size variation could not be ascertained despite dissection of calcareous ring of two individuals. Calcareous ring complex, tubular, with radial plates carrying long bifurcate processes, both ring and processes fragmented, the latter in a single series; fragmentation of radial and interradial plates more or less similar. Both radial and interradial plates triangular, the anterior process of each radial plate with shallow indentation for insertion of retractor muscle, that of interradial plates pointed. Anterior process of each plate flanked at tip by thickened alae, those of the radials not meeting, hence each radial plate appears anteriorly notched; in addition, each radial plate deeply incised posteriorly, i.e. bifurcating before the posterior border of the corresponding interradial plate. Calcareous ring, including processes, about 10 mmin length in the smaller specimen and about 15 mmin the distorted specimen. Polian vesicle single, elongated. Stone canal not detected in both dissected specimens. Spicules of dorsal and ventral body wall (SAM­A27890) identical, comprising twopillared tables ( Figure 2A,B & C) with an irregular disc, perforated by usually four central and a varying number of marginal holes of more or less equal size to the central holes. Spire of moderate height ( Figure 2B), terminating in 4(–6) teeth. Length of dorsal table discs 80–130 µm (mean 98 µm) with 8–13 holes, spire height about 40 µm; length of ventral table discs 90–110 µm (mean 100 µm) with 7–14 holes, spire height 40–44 µm. Deposits of dorsal and ventral podia identical, comprising two­pillared tables with curved discs perforated by four large central holes and several small holes at each end. Spire usually terminating in a single tooth or rarely in two teeth. Tables of dorsal podia ( Figure 2G) with discs 62–96 µm (mean 81 µm), spire height 27–46 µm (mean 34 µm); table discs of ventral podia ( Figure 2F) 68–101 µm (mean 85 µm), spire height 22–36 µm (mean 29 µm). Endplates ( Figure 2D & E) well developed with small central holes and 2–3 series of larger marginal holes with the most peripheral of marginal series always smaller than those within; diameter of endplates 102–135 µm (mean 120 µm). Anal region with broken periproctal plates and small tables similar to those of body wall. Introvert deposits include only two­pillared tables ( Figure 2I, J) with multilocular discs (59–94 µm, mean 76 µm) of varying shapes and with short spires (30–40 µm), terminating in 4–6 teeth. Tentacle stalks with delicate, perforated rods ( Figure 2K) (40–69 µm, mean 50 µm), tentacle tips with rosettes ( Figure 2L) (23–32 µm, mean 27 µm). Longitudinal muscles with delicate, perforated and branching rods (45–81 µm, mean 67 µm) ( Figure 2J). Dorsal table discs of largest specimen 89–132 µm long (mean 113 µm) with 9–15 holes, spire height 44–60 µm; ventral table discs 94–141 µm long (mean 114 µm) with 10–19 holes, spire height 41–50 µm. Largest specimen with table discs of dorsal podia 62–139 µm long (mean 100 µm), spire height 27–57 µm (mean 35 µm); table discs of ventral podia 65–128 µm long (mean 86 µm), spire height 24–41 µm (mean 32 µm); endplates 115–168 µm in diameter, larger in dorsal podia.   FIGURE 2.  Thyone comataCherbonnier, 1988. SAM­A27889. A. tables from antero­dorsal body wall; B. tables from side; C. tables from postero­ventral body wall; D. end­plate from dorsal podium; E. end­plate from ventral podium; F. tables from ventral podia; G. tables from dorsal podia; H. tables from proximal introvert; I. tables from distal introvert; J. rods from longitudinal muscles; K. small perforated rods from tentacle stalk; L. rosettes from tentacle tip. A–K scale a; L scale b.   TABLE 1.Distribution, depth records and morphological characters of four related species of  Thyone, including the two South African specimens of  T. comata.      T. pedata(ex Liao 1995)   T. villosa(holotype)   T. comata T. comata T. comata(ex Cherb. ( A27889) ( A27890) 1988)   T.crebrapodia(ex Cherb. 1988)  Distribution China Sea Philippines Madagascar East coast East coast & Comores South South Africa Africa Madagascar  Depth (m) 55 26 8–32 45 45–47 shallow  Length (mm) 18–22 20 5–27 27 18 12–24  Anal teeth absent present present present undetected ?  Body wall tables disc length (m) 119–128 93–122 100–130 89–141 79–128 55–60  spire heigth (m) ? 37–56 35–45 41–60 39–44 35–40  Podial tables disc length (m) 81–106 93–194 80–100 62–139 62–101 65–85  spire heigth (m) 31–41 37–59 20–35 24–57 22–46 20–30  Introvert deposits rosettes (in heaps) tables, discs (90–103 m), multilocular tables, discs tables, tables, discs multilocular discs (59–94 m), multilocul multilocular ar tables, discs 70–100 m), multilocular  Tentacle deposits stout rods irregular branching perforated rods and plates slender slender slender rods, rods, rods, perforated at perforated perforated ends and at ends and at ends rosettes rosettes and rosettes branched rods, perforated at ends, some rosette­like and rosettes  Longitudinal muscles ? thick, conspicuous thin to thick thin, thin, inconspicu inconspicuous ous ? Longitudinal? absent? slender, slender,? muscle perforated, perforated, deposits branching branching rods rods   Distribution Southwest Indian Ocean, 8– 50 m.  Habitat Sand, fine sand, coral sand, algae.   Remarks The specimens here studied come very close to  Thyone villosa Semper, 1868, from Cebu ( Philippines), re­described from the typeby Panning (1949),  T. comata Cherbonnier, 1988from Tuléar ( Madagascar) and MayotteIsland ( Comores) and, on the bases of body wall deposits alone, to  T. pedata Semper, 1868, recently described by Liao (in Liao & Clark 1995) from new material collected from the Gulf of Tonkin, South ChinaSea. In fact, so much is the resemblance of the present material to the above three species that I was at first inclined to consider  T. pedataand  T. comatato be junior subjective synonyms of  T. villosa, a species not encountered since its original description. However, judging from an examination of the holotypeof  T. villosa, received by courtesy of the Hamburg Museum, and from Cherbonnier’ s description of  T. comataand that of Liao’ s of  T. pedata, there is some justification in keeping the three species separate. The southern African material comes very close to  T. comata, to be almost indistinguishable. It differs from  T. villosain the form of the tentacle deposits, the thinness of the longitudinal muscles and the presence therein of slender branching rods (absent in  T. villosa) and from  T. pedatain the presence of anal teeth and slender rods and rosettes in the tentacles and only tables (instead of rosettes) in the introvert.   FIGURE 3.  Thyone villosaSemper, 1868. Holotype. A. body wall tables; B. podial tables; C. tables from distal introvert; D. rods from tentacle tip; E. plates from tentacle tip. A–C scale a; D & E scale b. It is a pity that Cherbonnier (1988)compared his  T. comataonly with  T. pedatawhile his  T. crebrapodia,also from Tuléar, he compared with  T. villosaSemperand  T. duraKoehler & Vaney. Thelatter species, described from the deep Arabian Sea (at 264 m), according to Koehler and Vaney (1908), shares some similarities with  T. pituitosa Sluiter, 1901from the deep tropical West Pacific (at 310 m). An examination of the holotypeof the latter species at the ZMUA, showed that its calcareous ring is different from typical members of  Thyonein being of the sclerodactylid rather than the phyllophorid type(see Thandar 1989c). This is also true for the calcareous ring of  T. dura, judging from the figure given by Koehler & Vaney. Thus, Cherbonnier’ s  T. crebrapodiacannot be compared with either  T. pituitosaor  T. dura. In fact, his  T. comataresembles  T. villosamore than does his  T. crebrapodia. The latter species differs from the former two in the smaller size of its body wall and podial tables and in its tentacle deposits. Table 1lists the characters of the above four nominal species of  Thyoneas well as those of the southern African material. The body wall, podial, tentacle and introvert spicules of the holotypeof  T. villosaare illustrated in Figure 3.  Semper (1868)separated his  T. pedatafrom  T. villosaon the basis of the absence of anal teeth and this system was adopted by both Lampert (1885)and Théel (1886a). Regrettably, Panning (1949)overlooked  T. pedatain his revision of the Cucumariidae. However, as shown above and in the table below, there is enough justification in maintaining the distinctiveness of both these species.