Leptosynapta ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954

Thandar, Ahmed S., 2008, Additions to the holothuroid fauna of the southern African temperate faunistic provinces, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1697 (1), pp. 1-57 : 51

Leptosynapta ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954

Figure 19

Leptosynapta ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954: 120 , fig. 3, 1-13.

Leptosynapta knysnaensis (partim) Thandar & Rowe, 1989: 151.

Type SAM.

Type locality Simon’s Bay , WCP .

Material examined SAM-A28027, UCT Ecol. Surv., St. CPR 48, Pringle Bay, 27.xii.1959, 1 spec.

Description

Specimen minute, previously dissected, posterior end and most internal organs lost. Length 6 mm. Colour uniformly white. Tentacles 12, under-developed, with 3-4 pairs of digitations ( Figure 19F ), no unpaired terminal digit; sensory cups and eyes not detected. Radial plates of calcareous ring ( Figure 19G ) perforated for passage of radial nerve. Ciliary funnels in clusters ( Figure 19E ).

Anterior anchors ( Figure 19D ) 125-170 µm (mean 159 µm), arms with 3-5 teeth, vertex smooth, slightly concave, shaft posteriorly narrow, stock finely toothed; anterior anchor plates ( Figure 19D ) 110-125 µm (mean 119 µm) with seven large, toothed holes and several other holes at narrow end. Posterior anchors ( Figure 19B ) 135-185 µm (mean 171 µm), arms with 3-5 teeth, vertex smooth, stock finely toothed; posterior anchor plates ( Figure 19A ) 125-138 µm (mean 133 µm), usually with seven large toothed holes and fewer holes posterior to this, with some larger ones also toothed. Radial muscle deposits absent. Tentacles with slightly curved rods ( Figure 19C ), 50-70 µm (mean 63 µm), with irregular margins and branched and/or digitated ends, usually perforated with a single hole.

Distribution South-west WCP.

Habitat Roots of algae, at low tide.

Remarks

Although the dimensions of the body wall spicules of the specimen fall close to those of its congenor L. knysnaensis ( Cherbonnier, 1952) , its tentacle spicules and clustered ciliary funnels are reminiscent of those of L. ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954 from Simon’s Bay, a species relegated to the synonymy of L. knysnaensis by Thandar and Rowe (1989). This view that can no longer be upheld and hence L. ancoracuta is here resurrected from this synonymy.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Leptosynata ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954. SAM-A28027, A. Plates from posterior body wall; B. anchors from posterior body wall; C. rods from tentacles; D. plate and anchor from anterior body wall; E. ciliary urns; F. tentacle; G. calcareous ring. A-D scale a; E scale b; F & G scale c.