Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:1-11 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve survey reveals new records of

xanthid crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from northern Australia

Tammy Iwasa-Arai 1 ’ 2 , Anna W. McCallum 3 * and Joanne Taylor 3

1 The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia

2 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departmento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Campus Trindade, CEP 88040-970,

Florianopolis, SC - Brazil. Email: araitammy@gmail.com

3 Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia. E-mail: amccallum@museum.vic.gov.au jtaylor@

museum.vic. gov. au,

* To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: amccallum@museum.vic.gov.au

Abstract Iwasa-Arai, T., McCallum, A.W. and Taylor, J. 2015. Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve survey reveals

new records of xanthid crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from northern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria

73: 1-11.

Sampling in 2012 (SOL5650 and SS2012t07) by the RV Solander and RV Southern Surveyor resulted in a small

collection of decapod crustaceans, including brachyuran crabs. The surveys were undertaken on the shelf off northern

Australia, including within the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve as part of the Australian Government’s

National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub. Here we report on nine species of Xanthidae

collected during these surveys, including specimens from the subfamilies Actaeinae, Euxanthinae, Liomerinae and

Zosiminae. Two species are reported for the first time in Australian waters ( Acteodes mutatus (Ortmann, 1894) and

Atergatopsis granulata A. Milne Edwards, 1865).

Keywords Crustacea, Decapoda, Xanthidae, Timor Sea, Australia, taxonomy

The crab family Xanthidae Macleay, 1838, is one of the largest

families of Brachyuran crabs in the world, comprising more

than 123 genera and 570 species (De Grave et. al., 2009;

Ahyong et al., 2011). Xanthids are the most diverse of the crab

families in Australian waters represented by more than 168

species and 50 genera (Davie, 2002; Poore, 2004). Although

Xanthidae share some diagnostic features such as shape of the

carapace, dorsal surface, shape of anterolateral margins,

cheliped and ambulatory legs, such characters are the result of

convergence (Thoma et al., 2013). Recent studies show that the

Xanthidae is polyphyletic and a major revision is required (Lai

et al., 2011; Thoma et al., 2013).

Recently, the Australian government established a system

of offshore marine reserves. These reserves consist of

protected areas of the ocean that are managed for the

conservation of their marine life, and include examples of

different marine ecosystems and habitats (Department of

Environment, 2013). It is difficult to describe the biodiversity

within many of these reserves because there has been little

biological sampling.

Thus, in late 2012 two surveys were undertaken in the

Timor Sea by the RV Solander (SOL5650) and RV Southern

Surveyor (SS2012T07). The RV Solander surveyed the

proposed Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve,

describing the fauna to increase the understanding of species

within the reserve and contributing to the knowledge base of

Australian tropical shelf habitats. This area includes a variety

of seabed geomorphic features from depths of 30 to 180 m,

including carbonate banks, terraces and pinnacles, recognised

in the North and North-West Marine Region Plans as a Key

Ecological Feature with potential biodiversity hotspot (Nichol

et. al., 2013).

The second survey was undertaken as part of the transit of

the RV Southern Surveyor between Darwin and Cairns in

October 2012 (Przeslawski et. al., 2013). Brachyuran crabs

were not the primary taxa of interest during these surveys but

some species were encountered. Here we report on these

collections of xanthid crabs in Australian waters of the

Timor Sea.

Material and methods

Specimens were collected by staff from the Australian

Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Geoscience Australia

(GA), University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Museum

& Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MGNT), aboard the

RV Solander and during a transit leg aboard the RV Southern

Surveyor and immediately fixed and preserved in 95% ethanol.

T. Iwasa-Arai, A.W. McCallum & J. Taylor

Morphological terminology generally follows Serene

(1984) and Ng et. al. (2008). Carapace length (Cl) is measured

along the dorsal midline from the rostral apex to the posterior

margin of the carapace, and carapace breadth (Cb) is the largest

measurement between anterolateral teeth along the dorsal line.

Specimens are deposited in Museum Victoria (NMV) and

comparative material was examined from the Queensland

Museum (QM). Other abbreviations: G1 is the first male

gonopod; G2 is the second male gonopod; acq. refers to the

sample number allocated to the specimen on board the vessel at

the time of collection. Photos of specimens were taken at

Museum Victoria using an SLR Nikon D300S digital camera

with 60 mm Nikkon lens for large specimens, and a Leica

DFC500 camera and microscope M205 high resolution digital

camera system with Auto Montage software for small

specimens. Some photographs of live specimens were taken

during the survey.

Systematics

Family Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838

Subfamily Actaeinae Alcock, 1898

Actaeodes mutatus Guinot 1976

(Figure 1A)

Actaea areolata Dana, 1852b: 162.—Dana, 1855: pi. 8 fig. 1.—A.

Milne Edwards, 1865: 264 (not Actaeodes areolatus Dana, 1852a: 77).

Actaea areolata? Miers, 1884: 209.—Rathbun, 1924: 16.

Actaeodes areolatus-, Guinot, 1967: 561.—Sakai, 1976: 449.

Actaeodes mutatus Guinot, 1976: 247.—Serene, 1984: 133 (key)

134 (key).—Morgan, 1990: 41.-Davie, 2002: 513.

Material examined. NMV J46921, 1 female (Cb = 18.1 mm. Cl = 11.5

mm), northern Australia, Arafura Sea, Survey SS2012t07 Stn 12 (acq.

272), 10°57.76-57.79'S, 136°48.03-48.03'E, 60.6-62.8 m, benthic

sled, 18 Oct 2012.

Colour in preservative. Carapace reddish brown with orange

granules on the lobes. Ambulatory legs brown with beige setae.

Chelipeds reddish brown with orange granules on the lobes

dorsally, and beige ventrally, fingers black. Abdomen brown

with beige setae.

Remarks. Acteodes mutatus occurs across tropical Australia

and the Indo-West Pacific. It is similar to Acteodes semoni

(Ortmann, 1894) but can be distinguished by the basal antennal

segment which fills the orbital hiatus that is normally open,

whereas in A. semoni the basal antennal segment is excluded

from the orbit. Another character used to define A. mutatus is

the subdivision of 3M into three parts. In our specimen this

subdivision is not well defined. However, it is likely this

character is variable within the species.

Distribution. Indo-west Pacific (Mergui Archipelago, to

southern Japan, and east to French Polynesia) (Davie, 2002).

Paractaea rufopunctata plumosa Guinot, in Sakai, 1976

(Figure IB)

Paractaea rufopunctata forma plumosa Guinot, 1969: 248, fig.

21 .

Paractaea rufopunctata plumosa Sakai, 1976a: 450, fig. 240b, pi.

159, fig. L .—Muraoka, 1998: 42.

Paractaea rufopunctata f. plumosa Serene, 1984: 121(key),

122(key), pi. 16C.

Material examined. NMV J46922,1 male (Cb=29.1 mm, 0=19.7 mm),

northern Australia, Arafura Sea, Survey SS2012t07 Stn 08 (acq. 204),

11°13.32-13.38'S, 134°45.12-45.12’E, 27.7-27.9 m, benthic sled. 17

Oct 2012; NMV J54546, 1 female (Cb=27.2 mm, 0=18.1 mm), off

Ningaloo North, SS10/2005 153, 21°59.17-59.79'S, 113°49.2-49.14'E,

165-166 m, beam trawl, 11 Dec 2005; NMV J61124, 1 ovigerous

female (Cb=11.9 mm, 0=8.5 mm), 1 female (Cb=13.1 mm, 0=9.1

mm) north-western Australia, SS05/2007 188, 12°26.7-26.96’S,

123°36.05-36.59’E, 95-95 m, beam trawl, 6 July 2007; NMV J17772,

2 females (Cb=15.3-15.5 mm, 0=10.2-10.4 mm), Australia,

Queensland, Tryon island (Capricorn Group) 23°14’S, 151°46’E, 1 m,

Sep 1970.

Colour in preservative. Carapace dark brown with orange

lobes; medial lobe of subdivided 2M, top of 3M, IP, and inside

parts of 5L highlighted with dark orange granules. Ambulatory

legs pale brown with patch of orange granules on the dorso-

medial region of merus and propodus, beige ventrally.

Chelipeds dark brown with orange and dark orange patches;

fingers black. Abdomen beige with orange patches between

segments.

Remarks. Guinot (1969) described a number of “formes” of this

species but only a few are currently considered valid subspecies.

The Arafura sea specimen most closely resembles the

subspecies P. rufopunctata plumosa as the cardiac region is not

subdivided into 2 parts, and the black colouration of the fixed

finger of the male chelipeds extends onto the palm (Guinot,

1976; Serene 1984). Specimens from Western Australia

reported as Paractea rufopunctata (see Poore et. al. 2008) also

fit the description of P. rufopunctata plumosa.

Distribution. Indo-Pacific Oceans including northern Australia

(Guinot, 1976; Sakai, 1976; Serene, 1984). Depth range:

shallow waters-130 m.

Subfamily Euxanthinae Alcock, 1898

Euxanthus sp.

(Figures 1C, 2A-F)

Material examined. NMV J46923, 1 juvenile male (Cb=7.9 mm,

Cl=5.6 mm), northern Australia, Timor Sea, Oceanic Shoals

Commonwealth Marine Reserve, Survey SOL5650 station unknown

(acq. 20052), 12 Sep-6 Oct 2012.

Description. Carapace (Figs. 2A; 2B) about 1.4 times as broad

as long, regions well defined, convex, strongly areolated,

smooth; 2M entirely divided longitudinally; 3M and 3L

distinct, entire; 1L indistinct; 4M fused with 3M; 4L merging

with third anterolateral tooth; 2L partially divided transversely

with shallow groove on medial margin; 2P distinct; 1R

Xanthid crabs from northern Australia

Figure 1. A, Actaeodes mutatus Guinot 1976, female, 18.1 X 11.5 mm (NMV J46921); B, Paractaea rufopunctataplumosa Guinot, in Sakai, 1976,

male, 29.1 X 19.7 mm (NMV J46922); C, Euxanthus sp., male, 8.12 X 5.83 mm (NMV J46923); D, Liomera edwardsi Kossmann, 1877, male, 9.37

X 5.83 mm (NMV J46927); E, Liomera margaritata , male, 16.3 X 9.8 mm (NMV J46928); F, Atergatopsis granulata A. Milne Edwards, 1865,

female, 19.6 X 12.9 mm (NMV J46929); G, Atergatopsis alcocki, male, 32.4 X 22.4 mm (NMV J46930); H, Lophozozymus dodone (Herbst, 1801),

male, 16.7 X 10.4mm (NMV J46931). Photos: T. Iwasa-Arai.

T. Iwasa-Arai, A.W. McCallum & J. Taylor

separated from 2R by indistinct transverse granular ridge, 2R,

3R indistinct. Pterygostomial region setose, tuberculate. Front

(Fig. 2C) about 0.3 times carapace width, bilobed, distinctly

produced beyond internal orbital angle; lobes separated by

V-shaped cleft, which continues on frontal region as shallow

groove. Supraorbital margin indistinctly granular, with no clear

external orbital tooth. Orbits relatively small, width about 0.2

times carapace width. Eyes with short stalks, smooth; corneas

well developed. Anterolateral margin with 4 broadly triangular

teeth: first rounded, apices of third tooth at the point of

maximum carapace width. Posterolateral margin concave,

convergent posteriorly. Median part of posterior carapace

margin almost straight.

Antennules folding transversely. Basal antennal segment

large, smooth, subrectangular, occupying entire space between

antennular fossa, internal orbital angle, filling orbital hiatus;

flagellum arising from distal margin, not reaching outer edge

of orbit. Posterior margin of epistome with median projection.

Outer surface of third maxillipeds smooth (Fig. 2D).

Merus subquadrate, median length about half that of ischium,

with 2 shallow depressions on either side of low, submedian,

smooth ridge. Margins smooth, anterior, internal and external

margins slightly concave. Ischium subrectangular, inner

margin with short, stiff setae; with shallow, longitudinal sub¬

median groove. Exopod smooth, tapering toward distal end,

falling short of anterior edge of merus; flagellum long.

Surface of thoracic sternum smooth, anterior region

elongate. Sternites 1-2 completely fused to form triangular

plate. Sternites 3-4 completely fused, with suture visible at

sternite edges and represented by a transverse furrow; sternite

4 with oblique depression on either side of median. Intersternal

sutures depressed, giving sternites 5-7 a raised appearance.

Sterno-abdominal cavity deep; anterior limit reaching to

imaginary line joining posterior edges of cheliped coxae;

tubercle for abdominal locking mechanism on sternite 5

slightly nearer to suture with sternite 4.

Chelipeds similar, subequal. Fingers (Fig. 2F) shorter than

palm, cutting edges with 4 teeth, brown, tips pointed. Dactylus

slightly curved, with 3 granulate ridges and deep submarginal

groove along length, stiff short setae on upper margin. Fixed

finger slightly deflexed with 3 smooth ridges and broad

submarginal groove continuing from palm. Palm outer surface

with 4 large nodules, with 2 irregular rows of granules near

convex proximal-lower margin; inner surface relatively

smooth. Carpus short, dorsal and ventral surface smooth,

outer surface with 2 prominent round expansions, upper

margin with 2 small nodules. Inner surface of fingers, palm

and carpus coapted against pterygostomial/hepatic region of

carapace. Merus rugose, ventral surface tuberculose, slightly

longer than carpus, with rectangular, ventro-distal tooth

apposed against carpus.

Ambulatory legs (Fig. 2E) smooth, edges with setae;

second leg longest, coxa-to-dactylus length about 0.8 times

carapace width. Merus subrectangular and flattened in cross-

section. Dorsal surface of carpus with one large nodule and

serrated anterior edge. Propodus subquadrate, with two

smaller nodules on the dorsal surface, short setae; terminates

distally in curved chitinous claw.

External surface of male abdomen, telson smooth.

Abdominal somites 1-2 subtrapezoidal, with two shallow

longitudinal grooves on either side of central raised region.

Somites 3-5 immovably fused, with a transverse depression

between somites 3 and 4; lateral margins slightly concave.

Somite 6 quadrangular, central region slightly raised, lateral

margins slightly concave. Telson subtriangular with rounded tip,

lateral margins relatively straight, median length about 0.7 times

basal width, about 0.7 times shorter than penultimate somite.

G1 not observable, G2 very reduced in size, without setae

or spines.

Colour in preservative. Carapace pale rose with pale orange

patches in lateral part of 5L, 1R, bottom of 4M, medial part of

2M and 2L, and the anterolateral edges of anterolateral teeth;

ambulatory legs, chelipeds and abdomen pale rose.

Remarks. As the material described herein is limited to a single

small juvenile male, we hesitate to describe it as a new species

at this stage. Euxanthus sp. is similar to Ewcanthus ruali Guinot,

1971 and Ewcanthus herdmani Laurie, 1906 which both have

four teeth on the anterolateral margin of the carapace and a

smooth dorsal surface. The material is most similar to E.

herdmani described from the Philippines (see figure ID,

Mendoza and Ng, 2010), but can be distinguished by: the

carapace shape which is narrower in E. herdmani (Cb/Cl

holotype= 1.33) than Euxanthus sp. (Cb/Cl= 1.41); anterolateral

teeth that are acute and noticeably larger in Ewcanthus sp. than

E. herdmani ; the frontal part of the carapace, in which the

frontal and orbital lobes are of similar size in E. herdmani ,

while in Ewcanthus sp. the frontal lobes are distinctly larger

than the orbital lobes. Ewcanthus sp. can be distinguished from

E. ruali from New Caledonia and Japan, by the anterolateral

teeth which are unequal in size (last two larger) in E. ruali, and

subequal in Ewcanthus sp.

Subfamily Liomerinae Sakai, 1976

Liomera edwardsi Kossmann, 1877

(Figure ID)

Liomera edwardsi Kossmann, 1877: 28.

Carpilodes edwardsi.— Miers, 1886: 133(part).—Odhner, 1925:

13, pi. 1, fig. 5.—Holthuis, 1953: 13.—Serene & Luom, 1960: 176 (key).

Carpilodes laevis.— Milne-Edwards, Nobili, 1906b: 215 (part).—

Michel, 1964: 23 (not A. Milne-Edwards, 1873).

Carpilodes sayademalhensis Rathbun, 1911: 211, pi. 17, fig. 5.—

Ward, 1942: 83.

Liomera edwardsi.— Guinot, 1967: 266.—Serene, 1968: 72.—

Sakai, 1976: 393, fig. 209a, pi. 139, fig. 5.—Muraoka, 1998: 38. —

Davie, 2002: 543.

Liomera (Liomera) edwardsi.— Serene, 1984: 49 (key), 54 (key),

58, pi. 5C.

Material examined. NMV J46927, 1 male, Cb=9.4 mm, 0=5.8 mm

(acq. 10282) Survey SOL5650, Stn 014 BS002, 12°4.133'-4.133'S,

127°26.164'-26.164'E, 36-34 m. Benthic sled, 17/09/2012; NMV

J46926, 1 female Cb=14.2 mm, 0=9.2 mm (acq. 10100) Survey

SOL5650, Stn 019 GR026,12°4.842,127°25.815'E, 49 m. Smith Mac,

18/09/2012; NMV J46924, 1 female, Cb=10.8 mm, 0=7.1 mm (acq.

10327) Survey SOL5650, Stn 016 BS004, 12°4.491'S, 127°25.742'E,

Xanthid crabs from northern Australia

45 m. Benthic sled, 17/09/2012; NMV J46925, 1 male, Cb=15.6 mm,

Cl=9.8 mm (acq. 20251) Survey SOL5650, Stn 074 BS022, 12°4.49'-

4.52'S, 127°26.62-26.62'E, 59-66 m. Benthic sled, 03/10/2012.

Colour in preservative. Carapace crimson with white patches

mostly on 3R, sometimes extending to 5L and 2L Ambulatory

legs crimson with bands of white at the distal and proximal

ends; chelipeds crimson with black fingers. Abdomen mostly

white with crimson patches. All specimens presented crimson

and white colouration, but differ in proportion of white.

Remarks. Liomera edwardsi was the only species with more

than one specimen collected during the Timor Sea Oceanic

Shoals survey. Liomera edwardsi is very similar to L. tristis

(Dana, 1852), L. laevis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873), L.

sagamiensis (Sakai, 1939) and L. nigropunctata (Serene & Van

Luom, 1960), but can be distinguished by a projecting areole

well separated from 2M and IF (Serene, 1984) on the dorsal

surface. This species was previously recorded in Australia by

Odhner (1925) from one specimen collected from Holothuria

Bank, Northwest Australia.

Distribution. Comoro Islands (Mayotte), Madagascar (Tulear),

Djibouti and Red Sea, South China Sea, Japan (Kii Peninsula),

Solomon Islands (Peros Bankos), Northwest Australia,

Australia (Holothuria Bank) (Odhner, 1925; Sakai, 1976;

Serene, 1984). Depth range 15-59 m.

Liomera margaritata (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)

(Figure IE)

Carpilodes margaritatus Milne-Edwards A., 1873: 182, pi. 5, fig.

2.—Henderson, 1893: 353. -Whitelegge, 1897: 131,-Alcock, 1898:

85.—Odhner, 1925: 24, pi. 2, fig. 4.-Gravely, 1927: 146, pi. 21, fig. 26.

—de Man, 1929a: 1. —de Man, 1929b: 2.—Chopra & Das, 1937: 395,

fig. 5.—Sakai, 1939: 476, fig. 36.—Lin, 1949: 22.—Serene & Luom,

1960: 174, 178(key), 185, fig. 2F, pi. 2D.-Buitendijk, 1960: 261, fig.

3b.—McNeill, 1968: 74.

Liomera margaritata.— Sakai, 1965b: 144, pi. 72, fig. 3.—Guinot,

1967: 266. -Serene, 1968: 72. -Sakai, 1976: 396, fig. 211. -Dai &

Yang, 1991: 271, fig. 145 (2), pi. 34 (2).-Yu et al„ 1996. -Jeng,

1997.—Davie, 2002: 543.

Liomera (Liomera) margaritata.— Serene, 1984: 63, fig. 23, pi. 7A.

Chlorodius exiguus Targioni Tozzetti, 1877: 48, pi. 4, figs 1-5, 9.—

Odhner, 1925: pi. 5, figs 8, 8a.

Carpilodes striatus de Man, 1887: 232, pi. 8, fig. 1.

Carpilodes ruber.— Ortmann, 1893: 468. (not A. Milne Edwards,

1865)

Carpilodes diodoreus Nobili, 1906a: 403.—Nobili, 1906b: 216,

pi. 10, fig. 9.—Klunzinger, 1913: 138.

Not Carpilodes rugipes (Heller, 1861).—Rathbun, 1910: 351.

Not Carpilodes margaritatus.— Lanchester, 1900b: 731.= aff.

Atergatopsis amoyensis de Man, 1879.

Material examined. NMV J46928, 1 male, Cb=16.3 mm, Cl=9.8 mm

(acq. 292) Survey SS2012t07, Stn 11, 10°57.66'-57.73'S, 136°47.68'-

47.94'E, 108.8-92.8 m. Benthic sled, 18/10/2012. NMV J10923, 1

female, Cb=9.1 mm, 0=5.7 mm, Australia, Queensland, Dingo

Beach. Coll. 08/08/1971.

Comparative material examined. QM W36046,1 male, Cb=14.6

mm, 0=9.4 mm, Great Barrier Reef Seabed Diversity Survey.

Site id: 2731: 22°2.7’S, 150°36.3'N, 53.4 m, RV Lady Hasten ,

23/09/2004; QM W37911, 1 male, Cb=21.6 mm, 0=13.4 mm,

Site id: 2126: 22°59.7'S, 149°58.5'N, 52.9 m, RV Lady Basten,

29/09/2004.

Colour in life. Carapace orange with white anterolateral

margins, IP, 2P and 3R white. Ambulatory legs orange.

Chelipeds orange dorsally and white ventrally with dark brown

fingers. Abdomen white (Fig. 5).

Colour in preservative. Carapace pale orange with white

anterolateral margins, IP, 2P and 3R white. Ambulatory legs

light orange. Chelipeds orange dorsally and white ventrally

with dark brown fingers. Abdomen white.

Remarks. Within the genus Liomera , this species is

characterised by a completely divided 2M region, which makes

it similar to, Liomera monticulosa (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873),

Liomera rugipes (Heller, 1861), and Liomera rubra (A. Milne-

Edwards, 1865). It differs from the latter three species, which

have 1M separated from the interior part of 2M. Serene (1984)

describes L. margaritata with well-defined regions 4L, 5L, and

6L, but in our specimens these regions are fused and not well

defined. Also, colour in live specimens are different, described

as uniformly pale violet by Serene (1984), while our specimens

are orange colour with white anterolateral margins. As the G1

morphology agrees well with illustrations of L. margaritata

provided by Serene (1984), we conclude that the variation

described above is likely to be intra-specific.

Distribution. Queensland (Great Barrier Reef, NE coast); Indo-

west central Pacific Oceans (Madagascar and Red Sea to Japan,

New Guinea, Samoa, New Caledonia). Depth range

subtidal-107 m.

Subfamily Zosiminae Alcock, 1898

Atergatopsis alcocki (Laurie, 1906)

(Figure 1G)

Actaea alcocki Laurie, 1906: 403.—Odhner, 1925: 43, pi. 3, fig.

4.—Balss, 1938b: 54, pi. 2, figs 3-4.

Xantho bowensis.— Rathbun, 1923:103, pi. 20, figs 1-3.

Atergatopsis alcocki.— Guinot, 1969: 232, fig. 15a-c.—Sakai,

1976: 413, fig. 218,-Serene, 1984: 141 (key), 142 (key).

Aff. Atergatopsis alcocki.— Serene, 1984: 143 (list), pi. 20 E.

Material examined. NMV J46930, 1 male, Cb=32.4 mm, Cl=22.4 mm

(acq. 118) Survey SS2012t07, Stn 02, 11°13.78'-13.78'S, 134°44.47'-

44.44'E, 23.3 m. Benthic sled, 17/10/2012.

Colour in preservative. Carapace brown, darker in the first half,

until last anterolateral tooth; ambulatory legs brown/orange;

chelipeds brown with black chelae; abdomen beige.

Remarks. The specimen from the Timor Sea agrees well with the

description in Laurie (1906). The holotype is described by Laurie

as yellowish with a circular brown patch in the gastric region in

live specimens. The single male specimen from the Timor Sea

lacked the brown patch as does the specimen described by

Rathbun (1923, plate 20) collected in Queensland, Australia.

T. Iwasa-Arai, A.W. McCallum & J. Taylor

Distribution. Sri Lanka, Singapore, Japan (Kii Peninsula),

Australia (Queensland and Northern Australia) (Laurie, 1906;

Rathbun, 1923; Sakai, 1976). Depth range 15-35 m.

Atergatopsis granulata A. Milne-Edwards, 1865

(Figure IF)

Atergatopsis granulatus A. Milne-Edwards, 1865: 255, pi 13, figs

2, 2b.—Kossmann, 1877: 22,-Cano, 1889b: 190,-Nobili,

1906b:235.—Klunzinger, 1913: 156(60).-Balss, 1935: 137; 1938: 55,

pi. 3, fig.3.—Monod, 1938:122, fig. 14,-Buitendijk, 1960: 283.-

Guinot, 1964: 14, fig. 2a, b; 1967c: 262; 1971: 1074.— Serene, 1968:

74,-Ribes, 1978: 126.- Serene, 1984: 143, fig 83, pi. 20b.

Not Atergatopsis granulatus.— Miers 1884b: 529 = not

Atergatopsis, according to Buitendijk (1960).

Not Atergatopsis granulatus— Miers 1886: 123 = Atergatopsis

tweediei Balss, 1938b, according to Buitendijk (1960).

Not Atergatopsis granulatus.— Balss, 1924 a: 6, fig. 1 = Banareia

parvula (Krauss, 1843).

Material examined. NMV J46929, 1 female, Cb=19.6 mm, Cl=12.9

mm (acq. 10327) Survey SOL5650, Stn 016 BS004, 12°4.8'-12°4.8'S,

127°25.74-127°25.77, 45-46 m. Benthic sled, 17/09/2012.

Colour in preservative. Carapace pale orange with a pair of

dark orange spots anterior to 5L. Ambulatory legs same colour

as carapace. Chelipeds pale orange with black fingers.

Abdomen beige.

Remarks. While this is the first record of this species in

Australian waters, the species has previously been recorded

from across the Indian Ocean and as far as the South China

Sea. It is very similar to Atergatopsis tweediei Balss, 1938

described from the Seychelles, South-East Asia, and Papua

New Guinea. Both species have chelipeds with chisel-shaped

fingers, and a single large subproximal tooth on the pollex.

According to Serene (1984) the two species can be distinguished

by the amount of granulation on the carapace. Atergatopsis

tweediei is entirely smooth on most of its median carapace,

with granules only on the anterolateral margins. While the

carapace of A. granulata is entirely covered in granules, they

are smaller and less numerous in the median and posterior

parts. In our specimen, region 3M of the carapace is almost

smooth but all other regions are granular.

Distribution. Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan (Karachi),

Aldabra, South China Sea and New Guinea (Serene, 1984).

Depth range: 26-46 m.

Lophozozymus dodone (Herbst, 1801)

(Figure 1H)

Cancer dodone Herbst, 1801: 37, pi. 52, fig. 5.

Xantho radiatus Milne-Edwards H., 1834: 398.

Xantho lamelligera White, 1848: 225.

Atergatis lateralis White, 1848: 225.—Adams & White, 1848: 39,

pi. 8, fig. 1.

Xantho nitidus Dana, 1852a: 74.—Dana, 1852b: 166.—Dana,

1855: pi. 8, fig. 4a-b.

Atergatis elegans Heller, 1862: 519.—Heller, 1865: 7, pi. 1, fig. 3.

Lophozozymus radiatus Milne-Edwards A., 1873: 206 (part).

Lophozozymus dodone Hilgendorf, 1879: 789 (nomen nudum).—

Miers, 1884: 517, 527,-Henderson, 1893: 361,-Ortmann, 1893:

457.—Ortmann, 1894b: 50,-Alcock, 1898: 108,-Calman, 1900: 6.-

Borradaile, 1902: 361.—Laurie, 1906: 399.—Rathbun, 1907: 39.—

Rathbun, 1911: 214.—Bouvier, 1915: 289.—Odhner, 1925: 82.—Balss,

1938a: 39.-Ward, 1942: 85,-Tweedie, 1950: I15.-Barnard, 1950:

218, fig. 39f, g.—Buitendijk, 1960: 294, fig. 7b.—Edmondson, 1962:

230, fig. 3f.—Michel, 1964: 27,-Sakai, 1965a: 45, pi. 6, fig. 6.-

Sankarankutty, 1966: 50.—Guinot, 1967: 266.—Garth, 1973: 319.—

Sakai, 1976: 407, pi. 146, fig. 2.-Serene, 1977: 50,-Guinot, 1979: 64,

pi. 8, fig. 1-la.—Kensley, 1981: 44,-Serene, 1984: 168 (key), 169

(key), 170, pi. 24E.-Sakai K„ 1999: 34, pi. 18B. -Davie, 2002: 543.

Lophozozymus Dodone.— de Man, 1887: 270, pi. 10, fig. 2.

Not Lophozozymus dodone —Rathbun, 1906: 846, pi. 8, figs 2,

2a.= Lophozozymus rathbunae Ward, 1942.

Not Lophozozymus dodone —Forest & Guinot, 1961: 54, fig. 39.=

Lophozozymus glaber Ortmann, 1893.

Material examined. NMV J46931, 1 male, Cb=16.7 mm, Cl=10.4 mm

(acq. 20921) Survey SOL5650, Stn 063 BS020, 11°23.83'-23.81'S,

126°54.49'-54.46'E, 88-85 m. Benthic sled, 01/10/2012.

Colour in preservative. Front and anterolateral margins of

carapace beige, with remnants brownish orange Ambulatory

legs pale orange, patches of 3R and IP and 6L beige. Chelipeds

pale orange in dorsal view and beige in ventral view with black

fingers. Abdomen beige with segments 1 and 2 brownish

orange.

Remarks: Widely distributed in tropical Australia, L. dodone is

distinctive in the genus by its rugosities and punctuations on the

carpus and external face of the cheliped palm of the male

(Serene, 1984). Lophozozymus dodone was compared with

images available of specimens collected from the central Pacific

(Legall and Poupin, accessed 2013) and it seems thatL. dodone

can have different colour patterns also in life, varying from the

carapace being dark brown with the front and anterolateral

margins beige to the carapace being vivid red with anterolateral

margins white, differing also in the amount of white/beige on

the front and anterolateral margins, sometimes with white

patches that can extend until the second half of the carapace.

Lophozozymus dodone was previously only known from

shallow waters (7-8 m) but is recorded here from a depth of 88 m.

Distribution. Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Cocos-Keeling, South Africa,

Japan (Amami Group and Ishigaki Island), Andaman Sea, and

Australia (Northern Australia) (Sakai, 1976) Depth range 7-88 m.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Chris Rowley and Melanie Mackenzie

(Museum Victoria) for collection management support, the staff

from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS),

Geoscience Australia (GA), University of Western Australia

(UWA) and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern

Territory (MGNT), who collected specimens during the surveys.

Surveys were undertaken by the National Environmental

Research Program (NERP) program, an Australian

Government initiative. The NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub is

a collaborative partnership between the Charles Darwin

University, University of Tasmania, University of Western

Australia, CSIRO, Geoscience Australia, Australian Institute

of Marine Science and Museum Victoria.

Xanthid crabs from northern Australia

Figure 2. Euxanthus sp., male (NMV J46923) (7.9 X 5.6mm): A, carapace, dorsal view; B, carapace, ventral view; C, frontal view; D, third

maxilliped ; E, fourth right leg; F, right cheliped.

T. Iwasa-Arai, A.W. McCallum & J. Taylor

We also thank Mark Elgar (University of Melbourne) for

his support, and Peter Davie (Queensland Museum) for

taxonomic advice and the loan of comparative material.

Finally, we thank the Program Science Without Borders ,

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientffico e

Tecnologico (CNPq), Brazil.

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:13-18 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Halearcturus , a new genus of Antarcturidae Poore, 2001 (Crustacea: Isopoda:

Valvifera) with a key to genera of the family

GARY C. B. Poore (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:C004D784-E842-42B3-BFD3-3r7D359F8975)

Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia. E-mail: gpoore@museum.vic.gov.au

(http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2DA12AA5-0ECA-426D-A41C-CEF966DDDlB2)

Abstract Poore, G.C.B. 2015. Halearcturus , a new genus of Antarcturidae Poore, 2001 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera) with a key

to genera of the family. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 13-18.

A new genus Halearcturus is erected for a single species, Arcturus serrulatus Whitelegge, 1904. It differs from all

other antarctuiid genera in the combination of having an antennal flagellum of one major article plus a short curved

tapering article (all other genera have either three or four articles, or about nine, plus a terminal one) and is unusual in

lacking a uropodal exopod. Halearcturus has unique complex ornamentation; it lacks both a strong medial posterior spine

and a pair of prominent sublateral spines on the pleotelson, typical of other antarcturids. The genus has a single species

from south-eastern Australia. A key to genera of Antarcturidae is presented.

Keywords Crustacea; Isopoda; Valvifera; Antarcturidae; Halearcturus ; new genus; key

Introduction

The family Antarcturidae Poore, 2001 includes over 120

species, many presently or formerly included in the genus

Antarcturus zur Strassen, 1902 (Schotte et al., 2008 onwards).

Brandt (1990) revised Antarcturus, erecting five similar new

genera. The number of genera in Antarcturidae has grown

since then to eighteen. Nevertheless, generic differentiation

remains problematic. No phylogeny exists, the characters used

to differentiate genera remain unclear, several species are

difficult to place, several species are undescribed (especially

in southern Australia), and nomenclatural issues remain.

Compounding the problems are 41 species that have been

described or included later in the genus ‘ Microarcturus

Nordenstam, 1933’. This name is a nomen nudum (Poore,

2001). Poore (2003) allocated most of these to other genera in

Antarcturidae Poore, 2001, Austrarcturellidae Poore and

Bardsley, 1992, Holidoteidae Wagele, 1989, orPseudidotheidae

Ohlin, 1901 but two were said to belong to new genera. This

contribution deals with one of these by erecting a new

monotypic genus.

Arcturus serrulatus Whitelegge, 1904 is an easily

recognised southern Australian species on account of its

unique decoration of prominent plate-like projections. It was

included in Antarcturus by Stebbing (1908) and placed in

Microarcturus by Nordenstam (1933). The species was

redescribed and illustrated more fully by Hale (1946) but

remains in taxonomic limbo. This opportunity is taken to

present an interim key to genera currently included in

Antarcturidae. The most recent key dealt with only few

Antarctic genera in the context of the arcturid subfamily

Arcturinae (Wagele, 1991).

Material is deposited in the Australian Museum, Sydney

(AM) and Museum Victoria, Melbourne (NMV).

Key to genera of Antarcturidae Poore, 2001

1. Pereopods 2-4 bearing few well spaced straight stiff

setae along flexor margins of carpus to propodus; body

and limbs covered with fine short setae.2

- Pereopods 2-4 bearing numerous closely and regularly

spaced fine ‘filter setae’ along flexor margins of at least

merus to propodus; body and limbs smooth.3

2. Pereonal and pleonal segments each with pair of

dorsolateral spines of similar lengths; eyes unpigmented..

. Thermoarcturus Paul & Menzies, 1971

- Pleotelson with 1 pair of dorsolateral spines much longer

than others; eyes pigmented.

. Spinarcturus Kensley, 1978

3. Antenna flagellum of 9 or more short articles.4

- Antenna flagellum of 4 or fewer short articles.9

4. Pleonite 1 free from remaining segments of pleotelson.

- Pleonite 1 fused to remaining segments of pleotelson.7

G.C. B. Poore

5. Pleonites 5 and 6 with middorsal spines.

. Marmachius Poore, 2012

- Pleonites without middorsal spines.6

6. Head without pair of spines between eyes, pereon and

pleon without submedian, sublateral and supracoxal

spines; pleotelson without prominent medial posterior

spine dorsal to margin.

. Furcarcturus Baltzer, Held and Wagele, 2000

- Head with pair of spines between eyes, pereon and pleon

with pairs of submedian, sublateral and supracoxal spines;

pleotelson with prominent medial posterior spine dorsal

to margin. Oxyarcturus Brandt, 1990

7. Pleotelson with paired submedian spines or tubercles,

with marginal lateral spines.

. Antarcturus zur Strassen, 1902

- Pleotelson without paired submedian spines or tubercles,

without marginal lateral spines.8

8. Head without pair of submedian spines between eyes;

pereonites without middorsal, sublateral or supracoxal

spines (tubercles at most). Litarcturus Brandt, 1990

- Head with pair of submedian spines between eyes;

pereonites with sublateral and supracoxal mushroom-like

tubercles; pereonites 1-4 with middorsal tubercles on

posterior margins. Tuberarcturus Brandt, 1990

9. Pleonites without middorsal spines.10

- One or more pleonites with middorsal spines or tubercles

.17

10. Head with pair of submedian spines.11

- Head without pair of submedian spines.15

11. Eyes absent.12

- Eyes present, pigmented.13

12. Pereonites with paired submedian and sublateral tubercles;

pereopods 2-4 with regular rows of long setae along

flexor margins of merus-propodus, unguis setiform.

. Abyssarcturus Kussakin and Vasina, 1995

- Pereonites without paired submedian and sublateral

spines; pereopods 2-4 with regular rows of long setae

along flexor margins of merus-dactylus, unguis short,

curved. Glaberarcturus Kussakin and Vasina 1998

13. Pleotelson with paired submedian and lateral spines, with

prominent paired posterior sublateral spines.

. Fissarcturus Brandt, 1990

- Pleotelson with prominent medial posterior spine dorsal

to margin or apex prominently produced.14

14. Pereopods 2-4 with regular rows of long setae along

flexor margins of merus-propodus.

. Acantharcturus Schultz, 1981

- Pereopods 2-4 with regular rows of long setae along

flexor margins of merus-dactylus.

. Chaetarcturus Brandt, 1990

15. Pleotelson without pairs of sublateral spines.16

- Pleotelson with prominent pair of sublateral spines near

midpoint. Caecarcturus Schultz, 1981

16. Eyes pigmented; pleotelson dorsal surface convex, not

differentiated from lateral margin, with medial spine

prominently posteriorly produced.

. Cylindarcturus Schultz, 1981

- Eyes absent; pleotelson dorsal surface bulbous,

differentiated from lateral margin by longitudinal groove,

without prominent medial posterior spine.

. Globarcturus Kussakin and Vasina, 1994

17. Pleotelson with 2 middorsal tubercles near apex, with

paired submedian and sublateral spines.

. Halearcturus gen. nov.

- Pleonites 2 and 3 with middorsal spine; pleotelson without

pairs of submedian and sublateral spines.18

18. All pereonites with paired sublateral tubercles and

supracoxal spines; pleotelson with prominent paired

posterior sublateral spines; pereopods 2-4 with unguis

short, curved. Mixarcturus Brandt, 1990

- Pereonites without paired sublateral spines or supracoxal

spines; pleotelson without prominent paired posterior

sublateral spines more dominant than other spines;

pereopods 2-4 unguis setiform.

. Pleuroprion zur Strassen, 1903

Halearcturus gen. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank.

org: act: 8 0A B 03 F2 - 0DA D -4205-9831-B 8F3 0D3 D0757

Type species. Arcturus serrulatus Whitelegge, 1904, by monotypy

and original designation (masculine).

Diagnosis. Body weakly geniculate between pereonites 4 and 5,

anterior pereon slightly elevated. Head with pair of submedian

spines between eyes; pereonites with supracoxal spines on all

pereonites, with paired sublateral tubercles, without paired

submedian spines, without middorsal spines; pleonite 1 fused to

remaining pleotelson; pleotelson with 2 middorsal tubercles

near apex, without paired submedian spines, with pairs of

sublateral tubercles, with marginal lateral projections, without

prominent paired posterior sublateral spines more dominant

than other spines, without prominent medial posterior spine

dorsal to margin. Antennal flagellum of 2 articles, first about

third as long as peduncle article 5, second quarter length of first.

Pereopods 2-4 with regular row of long setae along flexor

margins of merus-propodus, second row on mesial face.

Pereopods 2-4 unguis short, curved. Pleopod 1 of male exopod

groove opening distolaterally on margin, scarcely produced at

opening. Pleopod 2 of male, appendix masculina acute, at least

1.5 times as long as endopod. Uropod without exopod.

Halearcturus, a new genus of Antarcturidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera)

Oostegites 2-4 supported by ventral coxal processes, largest on

pereonite 4; oostegite 5 absent, without ventral coxal processes.

Etymology. For Herbert Mathew Hale (1895-1963) whose

contributions significantly expanded knowledge of marine

isopods in southern Australia, combined with Arcturus, a

commonly used genus stem.

Composition. Type species only.

Remarks. Several characters set this genus and its only species

apart from other antarcturids. Halearcturus serrulatus is

unique in the family in having an antennal flagellum of one

major article plus a short curved tapering second article; all

other genera have either three or four articles, or about nine of

similar lengths, plus a terminal one. The genus is unusual in

lacking a uropodal exopod but may not be unique in this regard.

The exopod is absent also in ‘ Microarcturus’ digitatus

Nordenstam, 1933, now accepted as Mixarcturus digitatus

(Nordenstam, 1933) (Poore, 2003), but not in M. abnormis

(Kussakin, 1967), type species of the genus. The exopod was

said to be absent in Antarcturus usitatus Schultz, 1978 although

it is present in all other species of the genus.

Halearcturus has unique complex ornamentation of plate¬

like tubercles and lacks both a strong medial posterior spine

and a pair of prominent sublateral spines on the pleotelson.

Abyssarcturus Kussakin & Vasina, 1995, Globarcturus

Kussakin & Vasina, 1994 and Tuberarcturus Brandt, 1990

(and some members of the loosely defined Fissarcturus

Brandt, 1990) share this pleotelsonic spination but all three

have very different patterns of body ornamentation.

Abyssarcturus and Globarcturus lack pigmented eyes and

have a 4-articled antennal flagellum. Abyssarcturus has a

setiform unguis on pereopods 2-4. Tuberarcturus has

middorsal tubercles on the posterior margins of pereonites

1-4 and a 9-articled antennal flagellum. Spinarcturus Kensley,

1978 and Thermoarcturus Paul & Menzies, 1971 have simple

pleotelsonic sculpture but both genera (one species each) are

covered with a mat of fine setae and lack the pairs of long

‘filter-setae’ on pereopods 2-4 (Wagele, 1987) which are usual

in Antarcturidae.

Halearcturus serrulatus (Whitelegge, 1904)

Fig. 1

Arcturus serrulatus Whitelegge, 1904: 414-416, figs 118a-c.

Antarcturus serrulatus.— Stebbing, 1908: 53.

Microarcturus serrulatus.— Nordenstam, 1933:128.—Nierstrasz,

1941: 261.—Hale, 1946: 200-202, figs 23, 24.

Type locality. Australia, NSW, off Wattamolla [as Wata Mooli], 99-

108 m (HMCS Thetis stn 57) (type material lost).

Figured specimens. Bass Strait, 70 km SW of Cape Otway, 39°26.60'S,

143°6.8'E, 115 m, NMV J8593 (male, 6.7 mm). 8 km S of South East

Point, Wilsons Promontory, 39°13.80'S, 146°27.3'E, 65 m, NMV

J62821 (ovigerous female, 10.0 mm).

Other material examined. NSW, off mouth of Manning River,

31°55'S , 152°52’ E, AM P.11752. 25-28 km NE of South Head, Port

Jackson, 33°44’ S, 151°38'E, AM P.11671. Jervis Bay, 35°3'S, 150°44’

E, AM G.940. 22.4 km off Batemans Bay, 35°45'S, 150°30’ E, AM

P.10715.

Bass Strait, Western Port and E of Tasmania: 43 specimens from

Museum Victoria collections (see http://museumvictoria.com.au/

collections-research/our-collections/).

Redescription. Ovigerous female, 10.0 mm. Head front,

concave; with pair of anteriorly-directed curved blade-like

projection between eyes; pair of tuberculate submedian bosses

and pairs of small dorsolateral and lateral lobes on maxillipedal

segment. Pereonites 1-4 each with pair of prominent

submedian anteriorly-curved, hook-like projections, pair of

smaller conical projections near posterior margin, pair of

lateral anteriorly-directed projections each with small conical

boss on anterior margin (lateral projection small on pereonite

1). Pereonites 5-7 each with pair of lateral flat-topped

projections and much smaller cone near posterior margin.

Pleonite 1 with pair of lateral posteriorly-directed. Pleonite 2

with pair of strong dorsolateral conical projections and smaller

lateral posteriorly-directed cones. Pleonite 3 with low median

boss, pair of smaller dorsolateral cones, pair of lateral wings

directed posteriorly. Pleonites 4-6 and telson with 4 pairs of

submedian conical tubercles, fourth largest, 3 sublateral

conical tubercles, second largest, 3 pairs of lateral triangular

tubercles, 1 median tubercles in front of apex, and apex with 1

dorsal median tubercle.

Coxa 1 fused to pereonite, with 3 triangular flat lobes.

Coxae 2-4 free, each with 2 anterior and 2 posterior triangular

flat lobes, the most posterior on pereopod 4 elongated as

oostegite support. Coxae 5-7 fused, with lateral flat-topped

tubercles and anterior and posterior triangular lobes.

Antennule flagellum blade-like, toothed; flagellum with

8 pairs of aesthetascs + 3 single subdistal aesthetascs.

Antennal peduncle articles 2-4 laterally flattened, with

teeth on upper margin.

Pereopod 2 basis with 2 teeth each on extensor and flexor

margins; merus with small tooth at midpoint and large distal

blade-like tooth on extensor margin; carpus with blade-like

tooth at midpoint of extensor margin; propodus with 4 small

teeth on extensor margin; dactylus with 2 small teeth on

extensor margin, with short unguis. Pereopod 3 basis with 3

teeth on extensor and 6 on flexor margins; merus with distal

blade-like tooth on extensor margin and small tooth on flexor

margin; carpus with 2 blade-like teeth on extensor margin,

small spine on flexor margin; propodus and dactylus as in

pereopod 2. Pereopod 4 basis with 4 spines on extensor and 10

spines on flexor margin, irregularly arranged; ischium with

spines on flexor margin; merus with distal blade-like tooth on

extensor margin and small tooth on flexor margin; carpus with

2 blade-like teeth on extensor margin, small spine on flexor

margin; propodus and dactylus as in pereopod 2.

Pereopod 5 with 4 tubercles on extensor margin, 3 on

flexor margin; ischium irregularly tuberculate; merus and

carpus each with 2 robust setae on conical projection on

margin; propodus with 5 robust setae on conical projection on

margin; dactylus curved. Pereopods 6 and 7 similar, less

ornate, bases shorter.

Uropodal peduncle with 2 longitudinal-oblique rows of

tubercles, 3 in row next to suture, 5 larger in midline; endopod

triangular; exopod absent.

Sternite 8 simple flat, without oostegite.

G.C. B. Poore

Figure 1. Halearcturus serrulatus (Whitelegge, 1904). a, female habitus; b, dorsal view of pleotelson. c, d, left male pleopod 1 in anterior and

posterior views, e, left male pleopod 2 in posterior view, f, ventral view of coxae and oostegites of pereopods 4, sternum of pereonite 5 [a, b,

reproduced from Hale (1946); c-e, NMV J8593; f, NMV J62821],

Halearcturus, a new genus of Antarcturidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera)

Male, 6.7 mm. Body more slender than ovigerous female,

as typical of Antarcturidae. Head with pair of blade-like horns

between eyes, each with acute tip and small acute point on

anterior margin; pair of large submedian hemispherical

bosses. Pereonites 2-4 each with pair of sublateral hook-like

anteriorly-directed tubercles, pair of small tubercles near

posterior lateral margin, pair of lateral marginal flat triangular

lobes, directed anteriorly. Pereonites 5-7 each with pair of

lateral conical tubercles. Pleonite 1 with pair of small lateral

tubercles, with pair of sharp conical tubercles on sternum

anterior to pleopods 1. Pleonite 2 with pair of large sublateral

tubercles. Pleonite 3 with median boss. Remaining pleotelson

with 2 pairs of obsolete submedian tubercles, 3 pairs of

sublateral tubercles, second largest, 3 pairs of lateral wings,

first largest, 1 median tubercles in front of apex, and apex with

1 dorsal median tubercle.

Coxae 1-4 unarmed. Coxae 5-7 each with obsolete

anterior and posterior lateral tubercles.

Pereopod 2 merus with blade-like tooth on extensor

margin; carpus with 2 blade-like teeth on extensor margin;

propodus with 3 teeth on extensor margin; dactylus with 2

teeth on extensor margin. Pereopods 3 and 4 similar: basis

with small marginal teeth; ischium with small tooth on flexor

margin; merus with 1 blade-like tooth on extensor margin;

carpus with 2 blade-like teeth on extensor margin, small spine

on flexor margin; propodus and dactylus as in pereopod 2.

Pereopods 5-7 similar: basis with irregular teeth; merus and

carpus each with 2 robust setae on conical projection on

margin; propodus with 4 robust setae on conical projection on

margin; dactylus curved.

Pleopod 1 exopod with oblique groove opening laterally at

about 90% of length, opening surrounded by dense setation,

most distal part lamellar. Pleopod 2 endopod with tapering

simple appendix masculina curving anteriorly, 1.6 times

length of endopod.

Uropodal peduncle with 2 longitudinal-oblique rows of

tubercles, 3 in row next to suture, 3 larger in midline.

Colour. Pale with small brown lateral spot on each segment of

pereon and pleon and pereopodal coxa, 1 or 2 on each

pereopodal basis, ischium, merus and carpus, 2 on uropod.

Size (total length). Largest male, 6.7 mm; largest ovigerous

female, 10.0 mm.

Distribution. Southeastern coast of Australia and eastern Bass

Strait, 32°S-43°S.

Remarks. The two syntypes are lost (Springthorpe and Lowry,

1994). Nevertheless, Whitelegge’s (1904) description and his

few drawings can be interpreted and reconciled with the

abundant available material - the species is unmistakable and

common in collections on the shelf of southeastern Australia.

Sampling on the NSW shelf has been intensive, especially in

the 1970s-1980s and no other antarcturid matches his

description. Hale’s (1946) description and more complete

illustrations of material from Bass Strait are similarly

unmistakable. His habitus drawing is reproduced here. The

redescription above is limited to the body armature and to

those features important in differentiation of antarcturid

genera: antenna, pereopodal dactyli, male pleopods 1 and 2,

female sternite 8 and the uropod. Both Whitelegge and Hale

illustrated and described ovigerous females. The diagnostic

ornamentation can be discerned in a reduced form in specimens

of all sizes.

Acknowledgements

Most of the material was collected during exploratory cruises

in Bass Strait and the southeastern Australian slope supported

by the former Marine Sciences and Technologies Scheme and

the Australian Research Council. Early work on Isopoda

Valvifera, of which this is part, was supported by grants from

the Australian Biological Resources Study.

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gen. nov., a large deep-sea arcturid isopod from the Drake

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Kensley, B. 1978. The South African Museum’s Meiring Naude

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Expedition (1955-1958) 3: 220-389.

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with descriptions of a new genus and five new species (Isopoda:

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arcturids from the western Antarctic and Subantarctic (Crustacea:

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Nierstrasz, H.F. 1941. Die Isopoden der Siboga-Expedition. IV.

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Idotheidae, Pseudidotheidae, Arcturidae, Parasellidae and

Stenetriidae mainly from the South Atlantic. Further Zoological

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Expedition in die Magellanregion oder nach den

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Paul, A.Z., and Menzies, R.J. 1971. Sub-tidal isopods of the Fosa de

Cariaco, Venezuela, with descriptions of two new genera and

twelve new species. Boletm del Instituto Oceanografico,

Universidad de Oriente 10: 29-48.

Poore, G.C.B. 2001. Isopoda Valvifera: diagnoses and relationships of

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included in its three genera (Isopoda: Valvifera). Journal of

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:19-26 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Five athecate hydroids (hydrozoa: anthoathecata) from south-eastern australia

Jeanette E. Watson

Honorary Research Associate, Marine Biology, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne 3001, Victoria, Australia,

(email: hydroid@bigpond.com)

Abstract Watson, J.E. 2015. Five athecate hydroids (hydrozoa: anthoathecata) from south-eastern australia. Memoirs of Museum

Victoria 73: 19-26.

Hydractinia gelinea sp. nov. is described and Amphinema dinema recorded for the first time from south-eastern

Australia. Three previously known species, Eudendrium pennycuikae, Ectopleura exxonia and Pennaria wilsoni are

redescribed in detail.

Keywords Athecate hydroids, south-eastern Australia, new species, new record, redescription of species.

Introduction

This report describes a collection of five hydroid species from

south-eastern Australia. A new species, Hydractinia gelinea

is described. There is a new but somewhat doubtful record of

Amphinema dinema. The range of Eudendrium pennycuikae

is extended from subtropical Queensland to cool temperate

southern Australia. Pennaria wilsoni and Ectopleura exxonia

are redescribed in detail, the latter being recorded for the first

time from New Zealand.

Type and voucher material is lodged in Museum Victoria

(NMV).

Hydractiniidae L. Agassiz, 1862

Hydractinia van Beneden, 1841

Hydroid colony either stolonal with a reticular hydrorhiza of

perisarc-covered stolonal tubes or covered by encrusting mat;

hydrorhizal mat may secrete chitinous or calcareous skeleton

or spines, pillars or branches. Polyps sessile, polymorphic,

naked, gastrozooids with one or more whorls of oral filiform

tentacles or with scattered tentacles on the distal half of body,

dactylozooids when present with or without tentacles.

Reproduction by sessile sporosacs or free medusa, gonophores

typically borne on gonozooids; gonozooids with one or more

whorls of oral tentacles or without tentacles and mouth, giving

rise to fixed sporosacs, eumedusoids or free medusa.

Hydractinia gelinea sp. nov.

Figure 1A-D

Material examined. NMV F202870, holotype, female colony. Crawfish

Rock, Western Port, Victoria, coll: J. Watson, 24/04/2006, depth 10 m;

material fixed in 5% formalin, later transferred to 70% ethanol.

Description. Colony comprising individuals and clusters of

female polyps on a dead crustose bryozoan; no gastrozooids or

dactylozooids present. Hydrorhiza ramified, firmly adherent to

substrate, stolons narrow, tubular, perisarc thin and smooth.

Gonozooids sessile, robust, with a whorl of 8-12 thick

tentacles surrounding a prominent dome-shaped hypostome;

tentacles with prominent whorls of nematocysts. Hypostome

high dome-shaped. Gonophores fixed sporosacs borne in tight

clusters of up to 15 on gonozooid well below tentacles.

Immature female gonophore pyriform, containing many small

ova, mature gonophore balloon-shaped to spherical, seated on

a cushion-shaped pad on a short peduncle and enclosed in a

thick gelatinous pellicle, surface of gonophore with abundant

large scattered nematocysts.

Nematocysts, probably euryteles of two sizes; none

discharged:

(i) capsule bun-shaped, 18-21 x 9-10 pm, on gonophores

and body of gonozooid,

(ii) capsule ovoid, 9-12 x 6-7 pm, on gonozooid

tentacles.

Colour (recently preserved material): stolons yellow,

gonozooids and gonophores flesh pink.

Table 1. Measurements (pm) of Hydractinia gelinea (preserved

material)

Hydrorhiza, width

48-72

Hydranth

maximum length, base to tip of tentacles

1400

width of body

280-320

Sporosac, mature, maximum width

250-400

J.E. Watson

Figure 1A-D. Hydractinia gelinea sp. nov. Holotype (NMV F202870).

A, hydranth with developing gonophores; B, mature gonophore with

scattered nematocysts; C, undischarged heteroneme from hydranth body

and gonophores; D, undischarged heteroneme from tentacles. Drawn

from preserved material. Scale bar: A, 0.5 mm; B, 0.2 mm; C, D, 10 pm.

Remarks. The colony is clustered in the pores of a dead

bryozoan Celleporaria sp., some polyps encroaching onto a

small sponge growing on the bryozoan. No encrusting

hydrorhizal mat or dactylozoids were found. The thick

ectoderm enclosing the gonophore obscures the position of the

spadix, masking its structural details. The immature female

gonophore contains numerous small ova c. 40 pm in diameter.

There about 130 nominal species of Hydractiniidae,

mostly recorded from the northern hemisphere, although

many are inadequately described (Miglietta et al. 2009). The

only presently known Hydractinia from south-eastern

Australia is H. betkensis (Watson 1978).

Choice of substrate is important in the Hydractiniidae,

encrusting colonies often being associated with mobile

substrata while reticulate colonies (such as H. gelinea ) are

usually associated with immobile substrata (Miglietta and

Cunningham 2012). Other known associations are with

pebbles, barnacles, sponges and other hydroids (Schuchert

2008) but there are no records of association with bryozoans.

As the nematocysts were not discharged their exact identity

could not be determined, but they are probably euryteles; no

desmonemes were seen. Euryteles and desmonemes are known

to comprise the cnidome of Hydractinia and these were

recorded in Hydractinia novaezelandiae (Schuchert, 1996) and

Hydractinia rubricata (Schuchert, 1996) from New Zealand.

Etymology, named for the cushion-like gelatinous pellicle

supporting the sporosac.

Family Pandeidae Haeckel, 1879

Amphinema Haeckel, 1879

Diagnosis. Colonies stolonal, hydrorhizacreeping, hydrocaulus

well developed, unbranched, covered by perisarc, longer than

extended hydranth; hydranths spindle-shaped with one whorl

of amphicoronate filiform oral tentacles, with conical

hypostome. Gonophores arising either on stolon or caulus or

both, releasing free medusae. Medusa generally with a large

apical projection, with two opposite tentacles, without gastric

peduncle, with marginal warts, manubrium with broad base

and four simple lips, gonads on manubrium in adradial or

interradial position, ocelli and marginal cirri may be present.

Amphinema dinema (Peron and Lesueur, 1810)

Figure 2A-G

Oceania dinema Peron and Lesueur, 1810: 346.

Perigonimus serpens Allman, 1863: 10.

Stomotoca dinema. - Mayer, 1910: 109, pi. 9, figs 8-10, pi. 10, figs

1-4.

Amphinema dinema. - Rees and Russell, 1937: 62, figs 1-4.-

Russell, 1953: 180, pi. 10, figs 1, 2, 4, pi. 11, figs 1, 3, text-fig. 89.-

Kramp, 1959: 117, fig. 109.- Kramp, 1961: 93.- Kramp, 1968: 42, fig.

108.- Goy et al. 1991: 109, fig. 24.- Schuchert, 1996: 63, fig. 36.

Material examined. NMV F202871, Clifton Springs jetty ruins. Port

Phillip, fertile colony on mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, depth 0.2

m, coll: J. Watson, 10/12/2008. Material fixed in 5% formalin later

preserved in 70% ethanol.

Description (from live material). Colony stolonal, hydrorhiza

reptant on substrate, stolons tubular, faintly rugose to smooth,

perisarc relatively thick. Hydrothecal pedicels scattered

along hydrorhiza, hydrocaulus erect, cylindrical, unbranched,

of same diameter at base as hydrorhiza, diameter increasing

distally, perisarc thin with several obscure corrugations

above base, continuing upwards for variable distance,

corrugations gradually becoming indistinct then fading out.

Hydranth long spindle-shaped, extending well above

hydrotheca, hypostome high-domed, quadrate when viewed

from above, with 8-10 long tentacles in a single indefinite

whorl held out stiffly below hypostome.

Medusa buds globular, arising on short, corrugated

pedicels along hydrorhiza. Prior to release one tentacle

emerges, followed by a second tentacle one to two hours

later. At release, medusa deep bell-shaped to hemispherical

with two opposite tentacles on large tapering bulbs,

Five athecate hydroids (hydrozoa: anthoathecata) from south-eastern australia

Figure 2A-G. Amphinema dinema. A, hydrocaulus with extended

hydranth and gonophores on hydrorhiza. B, contracted hydranth, C,

corrugated hydrocaulus. D, nearly mature gonophore. E, newly released

medusa, F, eurytele from tentacles, G, desmoneme from hypostome.

Scale bar: A, B, E, 0.5 mm, C, 0.3 m, D, 0.2 mm, F, G, 10 pm.

manubrium cylindrical in lateral view, quadrate in dorsal,

umbrella without apical projection, small nematocysts

sparsely scattered over bell, velum a broad shelf, radial

canals thin, a small wart at base of each canal. After four

days in the laboratory, medusa remained of same shape and

size as at release; no apical projection, manubrium with

four indistinct lips, a small marginal wart between radial

canals. After five days, manubrium extending almost

halfway down bell.

Cnidome comprising two categories of nematocysts:

(i) microbasic euryteles, capsule narrowly elongate,

7-10 x 2.5-3.5 pm (discharged), shaft thin, 7-10

pm, thread very long; abundant in tentacles of

hydranth and medusa and scattered over bell of

medusa; easily discharged.

(ii) desmonemes, almond shaped, 4-6 x 2.5-3.5 pm

(undischarged) on hydranth.

Hydrorhiza pale brown, hydrocaulus, body of hydranth

and tentacles translucent white, stomach region below

tentacles orange. Umbrella of medusa and radial canals

colourless, tentacle bulbs and manubrium orange-brown;

colour fading after five days.

Table 2. Measurements (pm) of Amphinema dinema (live material)

Hydrorhiza width

44-80

Hydrotheca

width at base

44-72

length

250-400

Hydranth

length, fully extended

500-1200

length of extended tentacle

300-500

Medusa

length of bud

30-35

height, 4 days old

Remarks. The hydrothecae vary considerably in length within

and amongst the colonies, shorter hydrothecae having a slightly

thicker and more visible perisarc while longer ones usually

have a thinner, sometimes almost invisible perisarc. The

perisarc is often lightly coated with fine sediment. The hydranth

is very active, bending from side to side when disturbed; one

was observed capturing and ingesting a small amphipod. When

the hydranth is extended the tentacles are scattered over the

distal body region but when contracted they appear as an

indefinite whorl.

The tentacles of the medusa are remarkably long, about 20

times the length of the bell. The medusa is very active,

swimming with rapid jerking movements.

Medusae of Amphinema dinema were originally reported

from the English Channel and later from the plankton of

north-eastern Australia (Kramp 1968). It was found in New

Zealand (Schuchert 1996) so it was only a matter of time

before also being recorded from southern Australia.

The present material agrees in most respects with

Schuchert’s (1996) description of the hydroid and early medusa

stages of the New Zealand species but differs in: i) the

manubrium of the newly released medusa is only one third the

height of the bell, ii) the manubrium is yellow, not red as in the

New Zealand material, iii) there was no indication of

development of an apical projection in medusae up to five days

old. While the apical projection is considered an important

diagnostic character, in the present case it may have been due

to retardation of growth in the laboratory. Despite these

differences and until further material is available for study I

refer the species to Amphinema dinema.

Distribution. North-eastern Australia, India, Mediterranean

Sea, north-western Europe, east coast of North America, New

Zealand. This is the first record of Amphinema dinema from

southern Australia.

J.E. Watson

Family Eudendriidae L. Agassiz, 1862

Eudendrium Ehrenberg, 1834

Diagnosis. Colony with erect, usually branched stems arising

from a creeping hydrorhiza. Hydrocaulus enclosed in a firm

perisarc extending to hydranth base; hydranth large with a

pedunculated hypostome and one whorl of filiform tentacles;

gonophores fixed sporosacs borne on hydranth body below

tentacles, male gonophores usually with several chambers,

female with a single egg.

Eudendrium pennycuikae Watson, 1985

Figure 3A-F

Eudendrium album Pennycuik, 1959: 167.

Eudendrium pennycuikae Watson, 1985: 183, figs 5-8.

Material examined. NMV F202872, jetty pontoon at Clifton Springs,

Port Phillip, on ascidian Molgula ficus, depth 0.3 m, coll: J.Watson,

18/12/2013. Material examined alive, fixed in 4% formalin then

transferred to 70% ethanol.

Description (from live material). Hydrorhizal stolons loosely

reptant on ascidian. Hydrocaulus monosiphonic, of same

diameter as stolon, to 16 mm high, sparsely and irregularly

branched without definable main stem. Lowest branch with up

to 15 wide annulations, upper branches with up to 10 proximal

annulations at branch junction, younger branches smooth,

older branches obscurely annulated or wrinkled but always

smooth distally below hydranth.

Hydranth large, erect, terminal on branch, body constricted

at base then becoming almost cylindrical, hypostome distinctly

pedunculate, surrounded by 16-20 long tapering semi-

amphicoronate tentacles. No nematocyst rings or pads.

Developing female gonophore encircled by a moderately

thick unbranched spadix, gonophores at various stages of

maturity scattered singly or in clusters of two to five on

blastostyle. Spadix lost at maturity, hydranth tentacles

shortening and becoming resorbed, mature gonophores

with approximately 20 ova attached to blastostyle on short

peduncles. Male gonophores comprising two to four

(usually three) linear bead-like chambers in clusters of up

to 12 on a blastostyle without hydranth, distal chamber flat

bun-shaped with scattered nematocysts; no apical

nematocyst pad.

Cnidome comprising microbasic euryteles of one size,

capsule elongate elliptical, 11-12 x 5-5.5 pm (undischarged),

8-9 x 4 pm (when discharged), shaft 4-6 pm long with a few

spines, thread long; in tentacles and coenosarc.

Stolons and older stems pale honey brown, younger stems

paler, hydranth body flesh pink, tentacles transparent, male

gonophores almost white, spadix pale brown, female

gonophores pale yellow.

Remarks. This is the first description of Eudendrium

pennycuikae from live material, the original description of

Pennycuik (1959) and Watson’s later redescription (1985)

being from preserved material held by the Queensland

Museum. The present record extends the range of E.

Table 3. Measurements {pm) of Eudendrium pennycuikae (live

material)

Hydrorhiza, stolon and branch width

100-150

Hydranth

width across extended tentacles

1000-1800

length of tentacles

400-500

length of body including hypostome

420-.680

hypostome height

-100

maximum diameter of body

150-300

Gonophore

mature female, diameter

200- 260

mature male, length of linear cluster

500-600

mature male diameter distal chamber

200-.230

Figure 3A-G. Eudendrium pennycuikae. A, branch with hydranths;

B, hydranth with extended tapering tentacles; C, developing female

gonophores; D, mature female gonophores; E, cluster of male

gonophores; F, eurytele from tentacles. Drawn from preserved

material. Scale bar: A, 2 mm, B, 0.3 mm, C, D, E, 0.5 mm, F, 10 pm.

pennycuikae from subtropical Queensland to cool temperate

southern Australia.

The large elegant pink hydranths with a whorl of long sub-

amphicoronate tentacles is a conspicuous character in live

material, differing markedly from the small hydranths with a

whorl of blunt tentacles typical of southern species of Eudendrium.

The capsule of the eurytele was found to shrink 15-20%

during discharge; while capsules usually shrink about 10% at

discharge (author’s obsv.) such a large reduction in size is unusual.

Five athecate hydroids (hydrozoa: anthoathecata) from south-eastern australia

Family Tubulariidae Fleming, 1828

Ectopleura L. Agassiz, 1862

Diagnosis. Hydroid solitary or colonial, hydrocaulus simple, with

open lumen, without parenchymatic endoderm or longitudinal

canals but weakly divided by two rarely up to five internal

longitudinal endodermic ridges, perisarc thin, a collar on neck

region that does not cover whole neck; hydranth vasiform with

one whorl of filiform oral tentacles and a whorl of long, filiform

aboral tentacles; gonophores borne above aboral tentacles

producing either free medusae, eumedusoids or fixed sporosacs.

Ectopleura exxonia (Watson, 1978)

Figure 4A-H

Ectopleura exxonia Watson, 1978: 303, figs 1A, B.

Material examined. NMV F202873, Crib Point petroleum wharf.

Western Port, Victoria, coll: J. Watson, 23/04/2006, depth 2 m;

abundant fertile colonies on mussel {Mytilus galloprovincialis ) shells.

Hardened in 4% formalin later transferred to 70% ethanol. NMV

F203425, from ropes at salmon farm, depth 5 m, Tory Channel,

Marlborough Sounds, South Island, New Zealand, coll: J. Atalah,

Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand.

Description (from preserved material, Western Port).

Colonies growing thickly on mussel shells, hydrorhiza of

matted closely ramified stolons. Stems crowded, to 80 mm

long, unbranched but often entangled, several basal annulations

on hydrocaulus and groups at intervals along stem, some stems

completely annulated; perisarc smooth, firm. Hydrocaulus

circular in section, with two internal longitudinal canals, one

central inside the other. Distal end of hydrocaulus a shoulder

surmounted by a short cylindrical section with thinner

perisarc, a narrow circular indentation below hydranth, base

of hydranth saucer-shaped. Hydranth with a single whorl of

12-15 short, thick oral tentacles surrounding a large hypostome

and one whorl of 16-18 long, slender aboral tentacles.

Gonophores fixed sporosacs in various stages of

development borne in tight clusters on short unbranched

blastostyles at base of aboral tentacles. Gonophore spherical at

maturity with a bun-shaped distal cap with emerging larval

tentacles.

Cnidome comprising nematocysts in two categories:

(i) stenoteles, capsule spherical, diameter 11-13 pm,

shaft wide; on hypostome and oral tentacles, a few on

aboral tentacles; some discharged.

(ii) stenoteles, capsule spherical, diameter 5-7 pm, shaft

wide; abundant on aboral tentacles, some on oral

tentacles; a few discharged.

(iii) heteronemes, capsule 10-11 x 5-7 pm, abundant in

tentacles and cauline coenosarc; undischarged.

Hydranths and gonophores rose pink, stems shining white,

tentacles white.

Remarks. The holotype (NMV G2801) of Ectopleura exxonia

(Watson, 1978) was a small sample collected from an oil

production platform at a depth of 75 m in Bass Strait. The

present abundant material permits additional description.

Table 4. Measurements (pm) of Ectopleura exxonia (preserved material)

Hydrorhizal stolon, diameter

260

Stem, diameter

220-540

Hydranth

diameter at base

280-450

length of oral tentacles

360-400

length of aboral tentacles

1900-2000

Gonophore, diameter

320-400

Figure 4A-I. Ectopleura exxonia. A, proximal stem and hydrorhiza; B.

hydranth with immature gonophores (after Watson, 1978); C, cluster of

developing gonophores; D, developing gonophore at base of aboral

tentacle; E, F, apical process on nearly mature gonophore; G, stenotele

from aboral tentacle; H, stenotele from oral tentacle; I, heteroneme from

tentacles. Scale bar: A, B, 1 mm, C, 0.2 mm, D, 0.3 mm, G-I, 10 pm.

The hydrocaulus of E. exxonia was originally described as

having four longitudinal internal canals. Examination of the

present material shows however, there are only two canals - an

outer perisarc-covered caulus and a single internal cylindrical

canal passing up the centre of the stem.

The somewhat smaller size of the hydranths and gonophores

of the Crib Point material than in the holotype may be due to

the Crib Point colonies being less than eight weeks old, dating

from the time of deployment of clean mussel substrate to the

time of retrieval. Water temperature at deployment was 20°C

declining over the immersion period to 15°C.

J.E. Watson

Schuchert (1996) predicted that E. exxonia would occur in

New Zealand. Recent sampling at a salmon farm at a depth of

5 m in Tory Channel, Marlborough Sounds, South Island,

New Zealand has confirmed his prediction, revealing well

established colonies of E. exxonia growing on farm nets.

Family Pennariidae McCrady, 1859

Diagnosis. (modified after Calder 2010). Capitate hydroids

with erect colonies; stems monosiphonic, branches giving rise

to hydranth pedicels, perisarc firm. Hydranth naked, spindle-

shaped, with an aboral whorl of long filiform tentacles

semicapitate distally, an oral whorl of short, capitate tentacles.

Eumedusa without manubrium, with four radial canals and

four rudimentary tentacles bulbs, velum not penetrated.

Pennaria wilsoni (Bale, 1913)

Figures 5, 6A-J

Pennaria wilsoni Bale, 1913: 116.- Blackburn, 1937: 176, figs 8,

9.- Hirohito, 1988: 30, fig. 9e.

Halocordyle australis Bale, 1894: 94.- Pennycuik, 1959: 160, pi.

1, fig. 8.- Watson 1982: 88, fig. 4.6 g, h, pi. 10.2.

(l)Pennaria wilsoni Gibbons and Ryland, 1989: 388, fig. 6.-

Kirkendale and Calder, 2003: 166.- Bouillon et al. 2006: 247-

Calder, 2010: 65.

Material examined. NMV F202880, Popes Eye reef, southern Port

Phillip, on rubble, depth 8 m, coll: J. Watson, 26/08/2013. Material

examined alive, later fixed in 4% formalin, then transferred to

70% ethanol.

Description (from live material). Mature colonies comprising

one to many branched stems to 20 cm long arising from a

ramified hydrorhiza, stolons tubular, almost smooth in young

colonies to rugose and gnarled in older colonies.

Stems erect, monosiphonic, flexuous, cylindrical, perisarc

smooth and shining, straight to weakly sympodial, a slight

change of direction at origin of each primary branch; branches

widely separated along stem in indefinite whorls of three,

directed upwards at 30-40° to stem. Stem widest at base,

narrowing slightly distally, ringed above base with up to 50

deep annulations and with up to 20 deep annulations above

origin of older branches; sometimes groups of annulations

along stem not associated with branching.

Hydranth pedicels variable in length (depending on age of

colony), widely separated, given off more or less triserially,

up to 15 on weakly annulated pedicels, sometimes with a

smooth mid-section, branch always with a terminal hydranth.

Hydranth long, cylindrical to spindle-shaped, hypostome

flattened dome-shaped. Four to five, rarely six short capitate

oral tentacles clustered around hypostome, tentacles

transversely segmented, each segment with a small central

reddish spot, capitala with batteries of nematocysts. Aboral

tentacles long, slender, semicapitate, in one whorl of 7-8,

arched in life, a thick fringe of nematocysts along the outer

side of tentacle, inner side transversely segmented with large

transparent cells with reddish inclusions.

Table 5. Measurements (fim) of Pennaria wilsoni (live material)

Hydrorhiza, diameter

200-400

Stem

width at base

200-500

distance between primary branches

375-570

width primary branch

200-500

Pedicel

distance between pedicels

1000-3500

length

200-300

width

70-120

Hydranth

body length extended

500-700

length of extended aboral tentacle

2000-3000

length oral (capitate) tentacle

250-350

Eumedusa at release

length

1050

width at base of bell

1000

Gonophore eumedusoid, ovoid to oblong, one to four in

various stages of development on short peduncles just above

aboral tentacles. At release umbrella thick, evenly covered in

nematocysts, radial canals straight, gonads large, brown,

tentacles reduced to knobs, velum closed, female with large

ova. Medusa pulsates feebly before and after release.

Perisarc of stem and branches thick, shining brown, hydranth

pedicels paler brown; hydranth and tentacles translucent white,

stomach brown to red. Medusa colourless, manubrium red, radial

canals reddish before release, becoming brown after release.

Cnidome comprising four categories of nematocysts;

stenoteles present in a wide range of shapes, sizes and

abundances, even between hydranths on the same stem.

(i) stenoteles, capsule large, elongate ovoid, 51-56 x

27-31 pm, shaft 50 pm long, cylindrical, head 15 pm

long with 2-4 long basal spines, distal part of head

with many small bristles, spinous thread at least 30

pm long, in capitate tentacles and at base of medusa;

easily discharged.

(ii) stenoteles, similar to but smaller than stenotele (i),

capsule elongate ovoid 44-45 x 20-22 pm, shaft

cylindrical, 40 pm long, base of head with 2-4 long

spines, head distally with bristles, thread with many

small spines; in capitate tentacles, easily discharged.

(iii) stenoteles, capsule ovoid, 19-20 x 14 pm, shaft stout,

19 pm long, head with several spines; in oral

tentacles; easily discharged.

(iv) stenoteles, capsule ovoid, 11-13 x 8-10 pm, shaft 10

pm long, abundant in aboral tentacles; difficult to

discharge.

(v) stenoteles, capsule inflated ovoid, 25 x 23 pm, in

aboral tentacles; undischarged.

Five athecate hydroids (hydrozoa: anthoathecata) from south-eastern australia

Figure 5. Pennaria wilsoni. In situ photograph of colony. Port Phillip

Heads, depth 10 m, showing bushy growth habit (photograph by

author). Scale bar: 5 cm.

(vi) isorhizas, capsule loaf-shaped 15 x 5-7 pm, thread

long, abundant in aboral tentacles; difficult to

discharge.

(vii) microbasic mastigophores, capsule elongate

pyriform, 15-19 x 6 p m, shaft 12 pm, spinous,

thread coiled in a circle at base of capsule, abundant

in aboral tentacles and on medusa; difficult to

discharge.

(viii) desmonemes, capsule almond shaped, 7 x 4.5-5 pn i,

rare in aboral tentacles and around hypostome;

undischarged.

Remarks. Pennaria is a genus with five accepted species

(Bouillon et al. 2006, Schuchert 2006). Pennaria disticha is

the best known of the group with cosmopolitan distribution in

tropical and temperate seas; it is present around Australia

except in cooler Victorian waters (author’s pers. obsv).

P. disticha. Bale (1894) described Halocordyle australis

from Capel Sound, Port Phillip. The hand written label on the

presumed holotype microslide (NMV F58747) is not Bale’s

and may be that of the collector, John Bracebridge Wilson.

Ralph (1966) reported Pennaria disticha from a benthic

material from southern Port Phillip collected by the National

Museum of Victoria Port Phillip (1957). Examination of this

material (NMV F150168, F150169) shows it to be Pennaria

wilsoni, not Pennaria disticha. The flexuous spirally branching

habit of P. wilsoni easily distinguishes it from the pinnate

stems of P. disticha. Bale (1913) renamed the species Pennaria

wilsoni and Blackburn (1937) described and figured the

gonophores of material from Western Port, Victoria.

Gibbons and Ryland (1989) reported fertile material as

Pennaria wilsoni from Suva Barrier Reef, Fiji and Kirkendale

Figure 6A-J. Pennaria wilsoni. A, branch with extended hydranths; B,

basal annulations of branch; C, capitate tentacles surrounding

hypostome; D, developing female gonophore; E newly released released

eumedusa with scattered nematocysts; F-H, stenoteles from oral and

aboral tentacles; I, desmoneme from hypostome; J, microbasic

mastigophore from aboral tentacles. Scale bar: A, 5 mm, B, D, E, 0.5,

mm, C, 0.25 mm, F-J, 20 pm.

and Calder (2003) also referred infertile tropical material

from Guam to P. wilsoni. Gibbons and Ryland’s microslide

mount (GL 10177) loaned by the Queensland Museum contains

several mature balloon-shaped gonophores approximately 1.5

mm long and 1.2 mm wide, but the contents are too degraded

for description. I have examined four preserved samples of

infertile material from the Pennycuik collection (QM 5513-

5516 inclusive) loaned by the Queensland Museum. The

material was collected from under coral reef shelves, 21-24 th

August, 1954, at a depth of 2 m at the Low Isles on the Great

Barrier Reef, Queensland. The Fiji and Great Barrier Reef

material are clearly the same species.

The only sure means of determining whether there are two

or one geographically wide-ranging species is based on

morphology of the cnidome. For comparison with P. wilsoni a

small crushed hydranth of QM 5515 was examined under high

magnification. The scarcely distinguishable nematocysts in

the capitate tentacles comprised some undischarged ?stenoteles

of three sizes: i) 28-36 x 20-24 pm, ii) 25 x 17 pm and iii)

11-12 x 8-9 pm. While allowing for approximately 10%

shrinkage in preservation, the largest capsules are much

J.E. Watson

smaller than those of fresh P.wilsoni. Therefore, until the

cnidome and gonophores of fresh tropical material are

available for examination it the tropical material is best

regarded as a different species.

The extensive and highly variable cnidome with

nematocysts of four categories is similar to that described for

Pennaria disticha (see Schuchert 1996), but in P. wilsoni the

largest stenoteles are bigger than those of P. disticha. In P.

wilsoni the relative abundance of the larger sizes of stenoteles

varies between hydranths, sometimes from the same stem.

The smaller stenoteles, microbasic mastigophores and

isorhizas are present in all hydranths while desmonemes are

sometimes rare. Uneven distribution of the large stenoteles

may be related to maturity of the hydranth, the larger ones

usually occurring on the older hydranths.

Pennaria wilsoni is known from several Victorian

localities and is likely to be more widespread than is presently

known. Colonies are most luxuriant in strong current flow on

open reef at 6-10 m depth while in less rigorous environments

they usually comprise only a few stems. Colonies persist

throughout the year with major growth during winter months

at water temperatures of 10-14°C, becoming moribund over

summer. Mature colonies are host to many epizooites including

other small hydroids, anemones and ascidians; as the water

temperature increases in late winter they are often overgrown

by small filamentous red algae. Hydranths and gonophores are

heavily preyed upon by the pycnogonid Tanystylum and

several species of the nudibranch Trinchesia.

Acknowledgements.

My thanks to David Staples for his expertise on associations

between pycnogonids and hydroids, to Robert Burn for advice

on nudibranchs and to Javier Atalah of the Cawthron Institute,

New Zealand for provision of samples. Thanks also to reviewers

for their comments which greatly improved the manuscript.

References

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Natural History 11(3): 1-12.

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descriptions of some new species. Proceedings of the Royal

Society of Victoria, new series 6: 93-117.

Blackburn, M. 1937. Notes on Australian Hydrozoa, with descriptions

of two new species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria

50: 170-181.

Bouillon, J., Gravili, C., Pages, F., Gili, J-M., and Boero F. 2006. An

introduction to Hydrozoa. Memoires du Museum national

d’Histoire naturelle 194: 1-591.

Calder, D.R. 2010. Some anthoathecate hydroids and limnopolyps

(Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Hawaiian archipelago. Zootaxa

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nebst einem Versuche zur physiologischen Systematik derselben.

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hydroids from Fiji. Athecata to Sertulariidae. Memoirs of the

Queensland Museum 27(2): 377-432.

Goy, J., Lakkis, S., and Zeidane, R. 1991. Les meduses (Cnidaria) des

eaux Libanaises. Annales de VInstitut Oceanographique Paris

67: 90-128.

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Verlag, Jena, (reprinted 1986, VEB Gustav Fischer, Jena).

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(Part 1. Athecata). Publications of the Biological Laboratory of

the Imperial Household, Tokyo 1-79.

Kirkendale, L., and Calder, D.R. 2003. Hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas

Islands (CNMI). Micronesia 35-36: 159-188.

Kramp, PL. 1959. The Hydromedusae of the Atlantic Ocean and

adjacent waters. Dana Reports 46: 1-283.

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3901.

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38: 403-430.

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:27-40 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to

Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

P. MARK O’LOUGHLIN 1 * (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:97B95F20-36CE-4A76-9DlB-26A59FBCCE88) AND

GUADALUPE BrIBIESCA-Contreras 1,2 (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:B72D73C9-FlE5-47D5-A4Fl-28BFA0AAlE57)

1 Marine Biology Section, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia

2 School of Biosciences, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia

(lbribiesca@museum.vic.gov.au)

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pmoloughlin@edmundrice.org

(http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E40F4237-lD55-4CE3-87Fl-EA0B28597D44)

Abstract O’Loughlin, P.M. and Bribiesca-Contreras, G. 2015. New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key

to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 27-40.

The Woodside/Western Australian Museum Kimberley Project 2008-2015 collected four small asterinid seastar

specimens from Cassini Island and Long Reef in the Kimberley region of north Western Australia. The specimens are

lodged in the Western Australian Museum. They represent two new species of Aquilonastra O’Loughlin: Aquilonastra

alisonae sp. nov.; Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. An updated key is provided for species assigned to Aquilonastra, and a

table distinguishing Aquilonastra species from the Kimberley region.

Keywords Kimberley; Woodside/Western Australian Museum Kimberley Project 2008-2015; Aquilonastra-, new species; fissiparous.

Introduction

The goal of the Woodside/Western Australian Museum

Kimberley Project is to generate a comprehensive understanding

of the marine biodiversity of the Kimberley region of north

Western Australia. Sampey et al. (2014) published on the

history, aims, scope and methodology of this project. The WA

Museum and Woodside Energy Ltd. undertook a partnership in

2008 for a six-year program to document selected marine biota

of the Kimberley region. A recent publication on the

echinoderms by Sampey & Marsh (2015) provides information

on the historical echinoderm collections from the region.

O’Loughlin & Waters (2004) revised all of the genera of

family Asterindae. Four new genera were created, and all genera

diagnosed. A key to the genera was provided. New morphological

characters were defined and illustrated. Amongst the new genera

was Aquilonastra O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin & Waters 2004).

A table of all asterinid species was provided, with original and

current combinations. O’Loughlin & Waters concluded that

Asterinidae is a cosmopolitan family, mainly of shallow-water

narrow-distribution-range genera but including some more

widespread genera in deeper waters of all oceans. O’Loughlin &

Rowe (2005) described an additional asterinid genus, Ailsastra,

from the Indo-West Pacific region. Six species were assigned to

Ailsastra, five of them new. O’Loughlin & Rowe (2006) revised

the genus Aquilonastra. A key to the then 25 species assigned to

Aquilonastra, and map of type localities, were provided.

Subsequently two additional species of Aquilonastra were

described: Aquilonastra shirleyae O’Loughlin, 2009 (100 m.

Point Cloates, Western Australia); Aquilonastra chantalae

O’Loughlin & Mackenzie, 2013 (shallows, Europa Island,

Mozambique Channel). In this paper we are referring four small

seastar specimens from the Woodside Kimberley Survey 2010 to

two additional new species of Aquilonastra. We update the key

here to include A. shirleyae, A. chantalae, and the two new

species described below.

Methods

The small seastar specimens were collected incidentally during

an intensive search for crustacean and polychaete specimens.

They were preserved immediately and directly in 90+% ethanol.

No notes of live colour or photos were taken. For photography

purposes the preserved specimens were allowed to partly air-

dry. Photographs were taken using a Cannon 5D Mark II camera

with a Cannon 65 mm macro lense. Series of photographs were

taken and stacked using the Zerene Stacker software.

After assembling the whole specimen montage photographs,

a ray from each of three specimens was cut off for the purpose

of observing external and internal skeletal structure. The distal

end of each of these three cut-off arms was cleared briefly in

bleach and then washed in water. Photographs were taken to

show internal skeletal structures.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Definitions and illustrations of terms

For definitions and illustrations of terms used, such as

superactinal plates, superambulacral plates and splay-pointed

spinelets, see O’Loughlin & Waters (2004).

Abbreviations

NMV Museum Victoria, with specimen registration

number prefix F.

WAM Western Australian Museum, with registration

number prefix Z.

Key (see Remarks ) to the species assigned to Aquilonastra

O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin & Waters 2004) (revised from

the key in O’Loughlin & Rowe 2006).

1. Typically 5 equal or subequal rays, sometimes 6 or 4;

form symmetrical or near symmetrical; single conspicuous

madreporite, rarely 2, very rarely 3; not fissiparous .2

— Typically 5 or more rays, up to 9, in unequal size groups;

form asymmetrical; always more than 1 inconspicuous

madreporite; fissiparous.20

2. Gonopores actinal (clearly evident).3

— Gonopores abactinal (sometimes obscured).5

3. One ray may be distinctly shorter; abactinal plates

paxilliform; spinelets in dense, frequently crescentiform,

clusters; spinelets pencil-like.

. A. scobinata (Livingstone, 1933) (SE Australia)

— Rays subequal; abactinal plates not paxilliform; spinelets

not in dense clusters; spinelets not pencil-like.4

4. Abactinal plates with low rounded elevations; spinelets

subpaxilliform; maximum R = 9 mm.

. A. minor (Hayashi, 1974) (Japan)

— Abactinal plates lacking rounded elevations; spinelets not

subpaxilliform; maximum R = 15 mm. A. byrneae

O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (NE Australia, Mariana Is.)

5. Abactinal spinelets in uniform dense round paxilliform

clusters. A. rosea (H. L. Clark, 1938) (SW Australia)

— Abactinal spinelets not in uniform dense paxilliform

clusters.6

6. Abactinal pedicellariae with conspicuous toothed valves

present, larger than spinelets; each oral plate with up to 10

spines.7

— If abactinal pedicellariae present, valves not larger than

spinelets; each oral plate with less than 10 spines.8

7. Up to R = 23 mm; shallow concave interradial margin,

rays not discrete; disc clearly defined by 5 wide interradial

plates and 5 small interradial plates; spinelets long, thin,

pencil-like; actinal interradial spines up to 4 per plate.

.A. rowleyi O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (SE Africa)

— Up to R = 13 mm; form stellate, rays discrete; disc not

clearly defined; spinelets columnar or conical centrally,

splay-pointed distally; actinal interradial spines up to 10

per plate.A. shirleyae O’Loughlin, 2009 (WA, Point

Cloates, 100 m)

8. Abactinal spinelets on rays typically differentiated on

plates into apical and marginal forms; some irregularly

distributed paxilliform plates.9

— Abactinal spinelets may be of variable form, but not

typically differentiated on plates into apical and marginal

forms; lacking any paxilliform abactinal plates.10

9. Abactinal radial plates with apical subglobose spinelets,

peripheral short conical to subgranuliform spinelets;

lacking pedicellariae; actinal central interradial plates

each with about 3 spines.

. r . T ... l T .. n ,.. . : . w .]L lorwli (Koehler, 1910) (N Indian Ocean)

— Abactinal radial plates with apical digitiform spinelets,

peripheral short conical spinelets; pedicellariae frequently

present; actinal central interradial plates each with about

5 spines.

... A • coronata (Martens, 1866) (Japan to N Australia)

10. Pedicellariae with differentiated valves in abactinal

proximal interradii evident in larger specimens.11

— Lacking pedicellariae.14

11. Abactinal spinelets up to about 12 on each proximal

carinal plate (at R = 20 mm).

.A. iranica (Mortensen, 1940) (Persian Gulf)

— Abactinal spinelets up to about 20 and more on each

proximal carinal plate (at R = 17 mm).12

12. Abactinal proximal spinelets up to about 40 per plate;

superomarginal plates each with up to about 20 spinelets

(at R = 19 mm).A. batheri (Goto, 1914) (Japan)

— Abactinal proximal spinelets up to about 20 per plate;

superomarginal plates each with up to about 7 spinelets (at

R = 19 mm).13

13. Abactinal distal interradial plate spinelets splayed and

overlapping adjacent plate spinelets (at R = 20 mm);

actinal interradial plates each with up to 5 spines (at R =

20 mm); size up to R = 25 mm.A. richmondi

O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (E Africa coast, Madagascar,

Mauritius)

— Abactinal distal interradial spinelets not overlapping

adjacent plate spinelets if splayed; actinal interradial

plates each with up to 8 spines (at R = 19 mm); size up to

R = 19 mm.A. watersi O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006

(Arabian Sea, Mauritius)

14. Abactinal spinelets sacciform, short, widely globose

basally, tapered to sharply pointed apically; predominantly

2 actinal interradial spines on each plate.

.A. halseyae O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Maldives)

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

— Abactinal spinelets not widely globose basally, not

tapered to a sharp point apically; predominantly > 3

actinal interradial spines on each plate.15

15. Abactinal spinelets short, thick, columnar or conical.16

— Abactinal spinelets long, subsacciform to splay-pointed ...

.. 17

16. Rays long, subdigitiform; spinelets mostly spread over

exposed plate surface; predominantly 6 spines per actinal

interradial plate (at R = 16 mm).. A. samyni O’Loughlin

& Rowe, 2006 (Arabian Sea to SE Africa, Madagascar, La

Reunion)

— Rays short, strongly tapered; spinelets mostly concentrated

over projecting proximal plate edge; predominantly 3

spines per actinal interradial plate (at R = 16 mm). A.

marshae O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Red Sea, Gulfs of

Aqaba and Suez)

17. Rays short; lacking doubly-papulate carinal plates;

spinelets not clustered into groups on plates; spinelets

frequently splay-pointed.18

— Rays long, discrete; some doubly-papulate carinal plates

may be present; spinelets frequently clustered into groups

on plates; spinelets not splay-pointed.19

18. Rays 5; up to R = 12 mm; rays merge basally; up to 14

spinelets per abactinal plate.

. A. oharai O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Okinawa)

— Rays 6; up to R = 6 mm; rays with sub-acute join basally;

up to 10 spinelets per abactinal plate.

. A. alisonae sp. nov. (north Western Australia)

19. Rays tapered; abactinal plates angled over papulae;

spinelets long, thin, sub-sacciform to sacciform, tapering

to fine point, rugose, subacicular; spinelets frequently

projecting proximally over papulae ,iA. cepheus (Muller

& Troschel, 1842) (Indonesia to N Australia)

— Rays digitiform; abactinal plates not angled over papulae;

spinelets long, thick, conical to subsacciform, with

numerous (5-6) points on distal sides and end of spinelets;

spinelets not projecting proximally over papulae.

. A. limboonkengi (Smith, 1927) (China)

20. Actinal interradial spines predominantly 1 per plate.21

— Actinal interradial spines predominantly > 1 per plate 22

21. Up to R = 10 mm; at R = 4 mm rays 6-8; abactinal spinelets

mostly granuliform; actinal interradial spines short, thick,

conical to subsacciform, pointed distally A. conandae

O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Indian Ocean, Mascarene Is.)

— Up to R = 4 mm; at R = 4 mm rays 5 (smaller specimens up

to 7 rays); abactinal spinelets mostly digitiform; actinal

interradial spines predominantly subacciform, spinous

distally. A. chantalae O’Loughlin & Mackenzie, 2013

(Mozambique Channel)

22. Spinelets of 2 distinct forms, long thick digitiform apically

on upper ray and marginal plates, smaller conical below

apex of plates -4 A. corallicola (Marsh, 1977) (NE Indian

to central W Pacific Oceans)

— Spinelets of one form.23

23. Spinelets elongate, not granuliform or subgranuliform (at

R = 5 mm).24

— Spinelets truncate, small, subgranuliform or granuliform

(at R = 5 mm).27

24. Up to 8 rays; upper abactinal spinelets conical to

prominently splay-pointed sacciform; pedicellariae

sometimes present, valves larger than spinelets; size up to

R= 12.5 mm.

. A. anomala (H. L. Clark, 1921) (central W Pacific)

— Up to 7 rays; upper abactinal spinelets not distinctly splay-

pointed; lacking pedicellariae; size up to R = 7 mm.Ji' 25

25. Oral spines 3-4 per plate; suboral spines 0-1 per plate;

size up to R = 7 mm.

. A. cassini sp. nov. (north Western Australia)

— Oral spines 5 or 6 per plate; suboral spines 3 per plate;

size up to R = 5 mm.26

26. Rays elevated; spinelets thick columnar or conical; actinal

interradial spines up to 2 per plate; actinal spines bluntly

pointed conical to digitiform. A. colemani O’Loughlin &

Rowe, 2006 (Papua New Guinea, Indonesia)

— Rays not elevated; spinelets thin digitiform or conical

with distally long spines; actinal interradial spines up to 5

per plate; actinal spines long, conical, thin, finely tapered

.A. doranae O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Okinawa)

27. Size up to R = 18 mm; some central abactinal plates

atypically large and irregular.

.A. burtonii (Gray, 1840) (Red and Arabian Seas)

— Size up to R = 9 mm; central abactinal plates not unusually

large and irregular.28

28. Up to 8 rays; up to R = 7 mm; spinelets up to 16 per plate;

suboral spines up to 4 per plate.A. yairi O’Loughlin &

Rowe, 2006 (Red and Mediterranean Seas)

— Up to 7 rays; up to R = 9 mm; spinelets up to 10 per plate;

suboral spines up to 2 per plate.A. moosleitneri

O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2006 (Maidive Is.)

Remarks. We acknowledge some difficulties with the key, such

as splitting the species into fissiparous and not fissiparous. We

are aware, for example, that asteroids may be fissiparous when

juvenile but not when adult. This is the case with the asteriid

Coscinasterias muricata Verrill, 1867 (personal observations).

Thus the slight asymmetry in the type specimens of

Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov. may reflect an earlier juvenile

fissiparous stage. Likewise there may be difficulty in detecting

the site of gonopores, or whether they are present. We judge

that if they are actinal they will be readily seen, whereas

abactinally they are often obscured by spinelets and amongst

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

papulae and an assumption has to be made about the site of

their occurrence. Pedicellariae are sometimes difficult to

detect, especially if the valves are undifferentiated abactinal

spinelets. Judgments, such as the form of spinelets, are

somewhat subjective. And the forms of some morphological

characters overlap. We recommend that the key should be used

in conjunction with the illustrations of Aquilonastra species in

O’Loughlin & Rowe (2006), O’Loughlin (2009) and

O’Loughlin & Mackenzie (2013).

Table. WAM specimens of seastar species assigned to Aquilonastra from the Kimberley Project Area (see map in Sampey et al. 2014)

Taxon

Some distinguishing species characters

(See O’Loughlin & Rowe 2006)

Kimberley Project Area & WAM

Registration

Aq. alisonae sp. nov.

6 rays; not fissiparous; lacking pedicellariae;

splay-pointed spinelets

Long Reef: WAM Z26199, WAM Z26200

Aq. anomala (H. L. Clark,

1921)

up to 8 rays; fissiparous; pedicellariae present;

frequently splay-pointed spinelets

Long Reef: WAM Z6843; Ashmore Reef:

WAM Z6844; Cartier Island: WAM Z6846;

North Scott Reef: WAM Z6847; Mermaid

Reef: WAM Z50826, WAM Z50827

Aq. cassini sp. nov.

5-6 rays; fissiparous; lacking pedicellariae;

mostly conical spinelets

Cassini Island: WAM Z26198, WAM Z26201

Aq. cepheus (Muller &

Troschel, 1842)

5 rays, sometimes 6 or 4; not fissiparous;

spinelets subacicular, subsacciform

King Sound: WAM Z6842; Ashmore Reef:

WAM Z6879, WAM Z6880, WAM Z6881,

WAM Z68030, WAM Z68038; Scott Reef:

WAM Z6882, WAM Z6883, WAM Z6884,

WAM Z6885, WAM Z6887; Cartier Island:

WAM Z6886

Aq. coronata (von Martens,

1866)

5 rays; not fissiparous; paxilliform abactinal

plates; 2 forms of spinelet

Mission Bay: WAM Z6890; Admiralty Bay:

WAM Z6896; Storr Island: WAM Z6897; One

Arm Point: WAM Z6898, WAM Z6899;

Naturalist Island: WAM Z6900; Wailgwin

Island: WAM Z58338

Asterinidae Gray, 1840

Synonymy. See Clark and Downey, 1992.

Diagnosis. See Clark and Downey, 1992.

Remarks. For a recent revision of Asterinidae see O’Loughlin

& Waters (2004). For the addition of a new genus Ailsastra see

O’Loughlin & Rowe (2005).

Aquilonastra O’Loughlin, 2004 (in O’Loughlin & Waters,

2004)

Aquilonastra O’Loughlin, in O’Loughlin & Waters, 2004: 5

(key), 13-15, tables 1, 2.—O’Loughlin & Rowe, 2005: 181.—Saba &

Fujita, 2006: 270,-Byrne, 2006: 244,245,248,250,251.-0’Loughlin

& Rowe, 2006: 257-287.-O’Loughlin, 2009: 204, fig. l.-O’Loughlin

& Mackenzie, 2013: 177-180, figs 1, 2.

Diagnosis (from O’Loughlin & Mackenzie 2013). Rays 5, or 5-8

in fissiparous species; inter-radial margin deeply incurved, form

stellate; rays discrete, broad at base, tapering, rounded distally;

flat actinally, convex abactinally; abactinal plates in longitudinal

series, not perpendicular to margin; papulate areas extensive;

papulae predominantly single, large, in longitudinal series along

sides of rays; abactinal plates with glassy convexities; abactinal

spinelets and actinal spines predominantly fine, glassy, conical

or sacciform or splay-pointed sacciform, in bands or tufts,

numerous (10-40 per plate); actinal plates in longitudinal,

sometimes oblique, series; superambulacral plates present for

all of ray, sometimes for part of ray or absent in pedomorphic

species; superactinal plates present.

Remarks. We have deleted the word “high” in relation to convex

from the diagnosis in O’Loughlin & Mackenzie (2013) since

“high” lacks clear meaning, and have replaced “not oblique” in

relation to actinal plate arrangement with “sometimes oblique”

to accord with our observations in this work.

Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank. 0 rg:act:

727C2763-A5B6-463A-B184-94572BD2B4F5

Figures 1-4, key, table.

Material examined. Holotype. North Western Australia, Kimberley

Region, Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008-2015, station

56/K10, Long Reef, 13.95704 S -125.71846 E, rock substrate, inter¬

tidal, coll. A. Sampey et al, 24 Oct 2010, WAM Z26200 (one ray

abnormal; one ray cut off mid-ray and cleared).

Paratype. Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008-2015,

station 47/K10, Long Reef, 13.81995 S -125.74942 E, rock substrate,

fore reef, 6 m, coll. S. Woolley, 21 Oct 2010, WAM Z26199 (1).

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

Figure 1. Montage photograph of the holotype of Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov. (WAM Z26200). Abactinal view showing six subequal rays (one

abnormal), abactinal plates irregular in form and arrangement, plates on upper rays singly papulate in predominantly four longitudinal series per

ray. Single madreporite highlighted. Insert (upper right) with splay-pointed abactinal spinelets from the lower ray and margin.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Figure 2. Montage photograph of the holotype of Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov. (WAM Z26200). Actinal view showing six rays and spination

and actinal plates in slightly irregular longitudinal and oblique series.

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

Figure 3. Montage photographs of the holotype of Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov. (WAM Z26200). a, abactinal proximal view of a ray showing

irregular plate forms and arrangement and predominantly splay-pointed spinelets; b, abactinal view of a distal cleared ray showing glassy convexities

on plates, proximal concave indentation on some plates for a papula, and a secondary plate highlighted; c, actinal view of the oral region and

proximal ray; d, view of internal skeletal structure of a cleared ray with a superactinal plate (left) and a superambulacral plate (right) highlighted.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Figure 4. Montage photograph of a paratype of Aquilonastra alisonae sp. nov. (WAM Z26199). Actinal view showing six rays and spine forms

and numbers that are similar to those of the holotype. Two oral plates highlighted, with 6 oral spines each, and four distal suboral spines each

(proximal two large and distal two small).

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

Description. Asterinid seastar, six rays, variably slightly

unequal, rays wide basally, tapered to rounded end distally, up

to R = 6.2 mm, r = 3.0 mm, rays merging at bases, inter-radial

junction of rays sub-acute, rays low convex abactinally, rays flat

actinally, margin acute. Madreporite large, conspicuous, only

one detected on holotype, above junction of bases of two rays.

Not fissiparous. Disc not discretely demarcated. No abactinal

or actinal gonopores detected. Pedicellariae not detected.

Glassy convexities on cleared abactinal and actinal plates.

Superomarginal and inferomarginal plates subequal;

inferomarginal plates not projecting noticeably. Internal

superambulacral and superactinal plates present.

Abactinal surface: disc plates imbricate irregularly with

those of rays; upper ray plates irregular in form, not in regular

series, no carinal series of plates; most upper ray plates widely

concave proximally to create papular space; single papula per

papular space; rare secondary plates; 4 prominent longitudinal

series of papulae across rays, short lower series of smaller

papulae along rays, up to 11 papulae per series along upper ray,

series along upper part of ray irregular; up to about 10

predominantly splay-pointed spinelets per abactinal plate,

frequently in 2 transverse series across proximal edge and

middle of plate; superomarginal plates with up to 8 splay-

pointed spinelets per plate in 2 series of 5 distal and 3 proximal.

Actinal surface spines per plate: oral 6, long, thin, slightly

cylindrical to spatulate; sub-oral 4-3; furrow 5, digitiform;

subambulacral 4, digitiform to splay-pointed; actinal up to 7 on

central plates, conical to splay-pointed; inferomarginal up to

about 9, predominantly splay-pointed, frequently with 6 abactinal

inferomarginal, 3 actinal inferomarginal. Actinal inter-radial

plates in slightly irregular longitudinal and oblique series.

Distribution. North Western Australia, Kimberley Region,

Long Reef, rock substrate, 0-6 m.

Etymology. Named for Alison Sampey, formerly of WAM, who

initially collected and curated these specimens.

Remarks. The slightly irregular length of the six rays and irregular

plate arrangement on disc and upper rays prompted us to think

initially that this species is fissiparous. But the presence of only

one conspicuous madreporite, and only slight ray length

differences lead us to judge that the species is not fissiparous, at

least for the size of the two type specimens. Aquilonastra alisonae

sp. nov. is distinguished diagnostically from other Aquilonastra

species in the key. It differs in particular from other species of

Aquilonastra from the Kimberley region by having a combination

of: six rays; predominantly splay-pointed abactinal spinelets;

single madreporite; non-fissiparous habit; absence of pedicellariae.

We did not observe gonopores, but they were clearly not present

actinally and assume that they would be abactinal if present.

Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank. 0 rg:act:

EBFF184D-ADAE-4C5C-AA63-619D69B4AE4A

Figures 5-8, key, table.

Material examined. Holotype. North Western Australia, Kimberley

Region, Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008-2015,

station 37/K10, Cassini I., 13.95156S -125.624123E, rock substrate, 3

m, coll. L. Walker, 18 Oct 2010, WAM Z26198 (one ray cut off

proximally and cleared).

Paratype. Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008-2015,

station 33/K10 (see database), Cassini Island, 13.92816 S -125.623337

E, lagoon, rock substrate, 1.8 m, coll. A. Sampey et al., 17 Oct 2010,

WAM Z26201 (1) (one ray cut off proximally and cleared).

Description. Asterinid seastar, asymmetrical, five or 6 sub-equal

rays, sub-digitiform, narrow and rounded distally, slightly

widened basally, up to R = 7.0 mm, r = 2.5 mm, rays merging at

bases, inter-radial junction of rays sub-acute, rays low convex

abactinally, rays slightly convex actinally, margin acute. Disc not

discretely demarcated. Three small, inconspicuous, abactinal

madreporites seen on holotype. Fissiparous. No abactinal or

actinal gonopores detected. Pedicellariae not detected. Glassy

convexities on cleared abactinal and actinal plates. Inferomarginal

plates significantly larger than superomarginal plates;

inferomarginal plates project noticeably at margin. Internal

superambulacral and superactinal plates present.

Abactinal surface: disc plates imbricate irregularly with

those of upper rays; upper ray plates proximal to disc irregular;

lacking secondary plates; regular carinal series of plates along

some upper rays only, up to 11 carinal plates per series, each

carinal plate with paired deep lateral notches to create paired

single papular spaces; plates on sides of rays with single

papular space; single series of papulae adcarinally on rays, up

to 15 per series, short lower series of smaller papulae along

rays, 4 prominent longitudinal series of papulae across rays;

abactinal spinelets predominantly conical; disc with 6-3

spinelets per plate, each carinal plate with cluster of 5-3

spinelets on crown of plate, adcarinal plates with up to 7

spinelets across angled plate, proximal and distal inter-radial

abactinal plates with predominantly 4 spinelets, variably 6-3,

conical to splay-pointed; superomarginal plates with 5-4

splay-pointed spinelets per plate.

Actinal surface spines per plate: oral 4-3, sub-oral 1-0,

digitiform, slightly spatulate, with minute distal spinelets;

proximal furrow 4-3, subambulacral 3-2; actinal predominantly

4, conical form with pointed distal end; inferomarginal up to

about 11, predominantly splay-pointed, frequently with 2 and 6

abactinal inferomarginal groups, 3 conical actinal inferomarginals.

Actinal plates in longitudinal and more noticeably oblique series.

Distribution. North Western Australia, Kimberley Region,

Cassini Island, rock substrate, 1.8-3 m.

Etymology. Named cassini (in apposition) for the type locality,

Cassini Island, in the Kimberley Region of north Western

Australia.

Remarks. The subequal ray lengths of the five-rayed holotype

prompted us to not think fissiparity for this species. But the

presence of three small madreporites on the holotype, and

irregular abactinal plate arrangement, lead us to conclude

that this species is fissiparous. It differs in particular from

other species of Aquilonastra from the Kimberley region by

having a combination of: 5-6 rays; predominantly conical

abactinal spinelets; up to 3 madreporites; fissiparous habit;

absence of pedicellariae.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Figure 5. Montage photograph of the holotype of Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. (WAM Z26198). Abactinal view showing five subequal rays; long

carinal series on bottom left ray; disc not discretely delineated; three small madreporites highlighted. Insert (upper right) with predominantly

conical spinelets from an abactinal lower ray and margin. The fine black spots on the specimen are contaminating grit.

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

Figure 6. Montage photograph of the holotype of Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. (WAM Z26198). Actinal view showing the oblique and longitudinal

arrangement of the actinal plates, and the actinal spination.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Figure 7. a-c, montage photographs of the holotype of Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. (WAM Z26198). a, abactinal view of a ray showing a long

carinal series of plates along the upper ray; b, abactinal view of a distal cleared ray showing the doubly papulate carinal series of plates, absence

of secondary plates, and projecting inferomarginal plates; c, actinal view of the oral region and a proximal ray; d, montage photograph of a

cleared distal ray of the paratype of Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. (WAM Z26201). d, view of the internal skeletal structure of a ray with a

superactinal plate (highlighted left) and probably an incipient minute superambulacral plate (highlighted within).

New asterinid seastars from northwest Australia, with a revised key to Aquilonastra species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

Figure 8. Montage photograph of the paratype of Aquilonastra cassini sp. nov. (WAM Z26201). Actinal view with pair of oral plates highlighted

and showing three oral and single suboral spines, all spines with minute distal spinelets.

P.M. O’Loughlin & G. Bribiesca-Contreras

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to: Ben Boonen for his skilled assistance with

the format of the figures; Jane Fromont (WAM) and Mark

Salotti (WAM) for their gracious assistance with loan material

and data; David Paul (NMV) for his most helpful assistance

with photography; Alison Sampey for her initial collection

and curation of the specimens; the staff of the marine

invertebrate department of Museum Victoria for the facilitation

of resources for this study. The authors thank the Woodside

Energy Ltd./WA Museum Partnership for the collection of

specimens described in this paper. We are grateful to Melanie

Mackenzie (NMV) for a most helpful review of our paper.

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Smith, G.A. 1927. A collection of echinoderms from China. Annals

and Magazine of Natural History 9(20): 272-279.

Verrill, A. E. 1867. Notes on the Radiata in the Museum of Yale

College, with descriptions of new genera and species. 1.

Descriptions of new starfishes from New Zealand. Transactions

of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 1(2)5: 247-251.

[Also in: Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand

Institute (1880) 12(34): 278-283]

Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:41-46 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

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A new species of Halopteris (Hydrozoa: Leptothecata) and redescription of

Plumularia rotunda from Victoria, Australia

Jeanette E. Watson

Honorary Research Associate, Marine Biology Section, Museum Victoria, RO. Box 666, Melbourne, Australia, 3001.

email: hydroidw@gmail.com

Abstract Watson, J.E. 2015. A new species of Halopteris (hydrozoa: leptothecata) and redescription of Plumularia rotunda from

Victoria, Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 41-46.

Halopteris urcoelata sp. nov. is described from Port Phillip. Plumularia rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911 is

redescribed from the adjacent Victorian coast and its relationship to Plumularia wilsoni Bale, 1926 discussed.

Keywords Victorian coast, Halopteris urceolata sp. nov., Plumularia rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911, Plumularia wilsoni Bale, 1926.

Introduction

This paper reports on three species of hydroids, Halopteris

urceolata newly described from Port Phillip, Victoria, and

Plumularia rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911, poorly

known from the central Victorian coast. The status and

relationships of Plumularia rotunda to a closely related

species, Plumularia wilsoni Bale, 1926 is examined. Type and

voucher material is lodged in Museum Victoria (NMV).

Halopteris urceolata sp. nov.

Figure 1A-F

Material examined. NMV F207310, holotype, malinol mounted

microslide, infertile colony on the bryozoan Amathia tortuosa, coll: J.

Watson, St Leonards pier, Port Phillip, 29/10/2012, depth 2 m; NMV

F207310, remainder of holotype colony preserved in 70% ethanol.

Description. Hydrorhiza a smooth tubular stolon of same

diameter as stem, running along branches of the bryozoan

host, giving off single delicate stems at irregular intervals.

Stems to 15 mm high, straight, monosiphonic, cylindrical,

with one or two basal ahydrocladiate internodes with weakly

oblique to transverse nodes, distalmost node strongly oblique,

following internodes alternately athecate and thecate,

athecate internode with transverse proximal and strongly

oblique distal node.

Hydrocladia alternate, planar, basal hydrocladia opposite

in some stems. Apophysis of stem cylindrical with transverse

distal node. Hydrocladia with up to five hydrothecae, arising

from behind frontal cauline hydrotheca, sometimes a short

secondary hydrocladium bearing two or three hydrothecae

given off from behind first hydrocladial hydrotheca.

Hydrocladial internodes alternately athecate and thecate;

thecate internode with oblique nodes, distal node sometimes

reduced to a notch in perisarc, athecate internode with a single

nematotheca about halfway along internode.

Hydrotheca seated about halfway along thecate internode

at an angle of approximately 40° to hydrocladial axis, jug¬

shaped, abcauline wall almost straight to weakly concave,

slightly thickened, adcauline wall distinctly concave, floor

asymmetrically curved, margin circular in anterior view,

transverse to hydrothecal axis, rim slightly thickened.

One or two large nematothecae on basal stem internodes

and one halfway along athecate cauline internode, base of

nematotheca long and slender, cup large, adcaudally

foreshortened; nematothecae on hydrocladial internode, base

of median inferior short and stout, cup adcaudally

foreshortened, not reaching hydrothecal floor, base of paired

laterals long, without pedicel, cup smaller than others, not

reaching hydrothecal margin.

Cnidome comprising microbasic euryteles all of same

size, capsule elongate oval, 10 x 5 pm, shaft 7 pm long,

spinous.

Colony transparent white, perisarc thin.

Remarks. It was originally considered that the species may be

Plumularia campanula var. geelongensis Mulder and

Trebilcock 1916, recorded by them only once from Corio Bay

in Port Phillip. Careful search of the hydroid collections in

Museum Victoria found no specimen of the variety geelongensis

it is assumed that no specimens were ever lodged.

Their figure of var. geelongensis (p.76, pi. 11, figs 2, 2a-c)

shows a deep cup-shaped, straight-sided hydrotheca,

suggesting that the specimen may have been a variant of

Halopteris campanula (Busk, 1852), a species common in

Victorian oceanic habitat.

J.E. Watson

Figure 1A-F. Halopteris urceolata sp. nov. A, part of stem of holotype colony (NMV F207310) showing secondary branching. B, branched

hydrocladium. C, median inferior nematotheca. D, twin lateral nematothecae. E, cauline nematotheca. F, microbasic eurytele. Scale bar: A, 1.0

mm; B, 0.3 mm; C-E, 0.1 mm; F, 10 pm.

Table 1. Measurements ( pm) of Halopteris urceolata

Hydrorhiza, diameter of stolon

64-102

Stem internode

length

576-696

width at node

100-108

Hydrocladium

length of athecate internode

120-140

length of thecate internode

300-340

width at node

60-76

Hydrotheca

length of adcauline wall

160-180

length of abcauline wall

112-120

diameter of margin

152-168

Nematotheca

total length of cauline

176-200

total length of lateral

132-152

The secondary hydrocladial branching seen in Halopteris

urceolata somewhat resembles that of Schizotricha (= Halopteris )

simplex Warren, 1914 from South Africa. The paired basal

branching present in some hydrocladia of H. urceolata sometimes

also occurs in Halopteris tenella (Verrill, 1874) from the North

Sea (see Schuchert (1997) and also occasionally in H. campanula

from southern Australia (Watson unpubl.).

Schuchert (1997) mentioned difficulty in deciding whether

the cnidome of Halopteris campanula comprises microbasic

mastigophores or microbasic euryteles. As the present material

of Halopteris urceolata was preserved prior to examination only

a few partially discharged nematocysts were found; these suggest

that the cnidome probably also comprises microbasic euryteles.

Ecology. The species occurs in sheltered habitat on jetty piles.

Etymology. Named for the jug-shaped hydrotheca.

A new species of Halopteris (Hydrozoa: Leptothecata) and redescription of Plumularia rotunda from Victoria, Australia

Plumularia rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911

Figure 2A-G

Plumularia delicatula var. rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911:

116, pi. 2, fig. 2.

Plumularia rotunda Bale, 1919: 343, pi. 17, fig. 1.- Stranks, 1993:

13.-Bouillon et al., 2006: 370.

Material examined. NMV F57984, microslide, Museum Victoria

Trebilcock collection, labelled “Type, Plumularia delicatula var.

rotunda Bream Creek”; NMV F207643 microslide, malinol mounted,

coll: J. Watson 15/04/2012, reef 21 m deep, 1.5 km off Barwon Heads,

Victoria.

Description (from live, preserved and mounted material).

Colony infertile, hydrorhiza a rugose stolon with internal

flexion joints. Stems straight, monosiphonic, to 7 mm high,

of same diameter throughout, basal one third to half of

stems ahydrocladiate with some transverse joints and

cauline nematothecae, apophyses at sites of previously

shed hydrocladia.

Stem internodes short, straight, expanding a little distally,

nodes oblique to transverse, some a deep V-shaped joint,

younger internodes without internal septa, older ones with

several transverse intranodal septa.

Hydrocladia alternate, planar, given off at or near distal

cauline internode, apophysis short, proximal node transverse

or slightly oblique, distal node a broad transverse shoulder.

Hydrocladium with one or usually two hydrothecae, proximal

athecate internode short, expanding distally from apophysis,

with one or two deep transverse internal septa and deep

indentations in perisarc, occasionally athecate internode

extended distally by several secondary nodes; if two or more

hydrothecae present on hydrocladium, these separated by a

long athecate internode with internal septa, often bearing a

median nematotheca.

Hydrotheca occupying two thirds of internode, base of

internode straight below hydrotheca; infrathecal hydrothecal

chamber large, adcauline wall of hydrotheca entirely adnate to

internode, convexly curved, abcauline wall strongly convex to

rounded, a hook-shaped thickening passing down from

abcauline wall to margin (lateral view), appearing as a

submarginal septum in anterior view. Margin of hydrotheca

facing obliquely backwards, sub-rectangular in anterior view,

rim weakly lobate, in lateral view partly obscured by

submarginal septum and abcauline wall. Hydranth with about

18 tentacles.

Nematothecae all of same size, base conical, cup

quadrangular in outline, wall slightly adcaudally

foreshortened, one about halfway along and closely adpressed

to stem internode, one in axil of apophysis, one median

behind infrathecal chamber, base slightly wider than others;

twin laterals with slender base below hydrotheca, not

reaching hydrothecal margin.

Cauline perisarc thick, stem pale brown at base fading to

colourless or white below first hydrocladium.

Remarks. This redescription of Plumularia rotunda from

fresh material augments the descriptions of Mulder and

Trebilcock (1911) and Bale (1919).

Table 2. Measurements (/<m) of Plumularia rotunda

Hydrorhiza, width

104-120

Stem internode

length

280-332

width at node

56-100

Apophysis

adcauline length

40-44

width at distal node

56-60

Hydrocladium

length athecate internode

60-72

length thecate internode

240-260

Hydrotheca

maximum depth

148-168

maximum length

160-220

width of margin

92-120

Nematotheca

length of base

30-50

width of cup

30-36

The Trebilcock hydroid collection of Museum Victoria

contains some fragmented, poorly labelled and several

unlabelled microslide specimens of Plumularia delicatula

var rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911 those labeled being

from the central Victorian coast. The authors considered it to

be a variety of P. delicatula Bale, 1882 but their figure

provides little morphological information. A microslide

(NMV F57984) labelled “ Plumularia delicatula var. rotunda

Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911 Type”, is suggested a possible

syntype by Stranks (1993) and I designate this microslide as

lectotype of Plumularia rotunda. I also designate as

paralectotypes of Plumularia rotunda Mulder and

Trebilcock’s microslide NMV F222407, labelled “co-type”

from Bream Creek; microslide NMV F222408 from Barwon

Heads displaying two gonothecae, and microslide NMV

F222409 from Bream Creek, labelled “abnormal growth”. I

further designate as paralectype of Plumularia rotunda a

microslide (NMV F222406) in the Bale hydroid collection of

Museum Victoria, labelled in Bale’s handwriting “ Plumularia

delicatula var. rotunda , Mr Mulder, 1907 Geelong”. Based

on this microslide, Bale (1919) provided a more detailed

description and better figures of the variety rotunda, raising

it to specific rank.

Ecology. Although Mulder and Trebilcock left no traceable

field notes about collection of specimens it is assumed that

their specimens were from algae cast up on local ocean

beaches. The underside of the common prostrate leathery red

alga Peysonnelia from which the present fresh specimens

were collected provides secure habitat for small

cryptic hydroids.

J.E. Watson

Figure 2 A-G. Plumularia rotunda (NMV F207643) from Barwon Heads. A, stem. B, stem internode and hydrothecae, C, hydrotheca, ventral

view. D, hydrotheca, lateral view showing deep submarginal ridge. E, Plumularia rotunda, hydrotheca of (NMV F57984) lectotype of Plumularia

delicatula var. rotunda Mulder and Trebilcock, 1911 for comparison with D. F cauline internode, and axillar nematotheca of (NMV F207643).

G, cauline nematotheca of (NMV F207643). Scale bar: A, 1.0 mm; B, 0.5 mm; C-G, 0.2 mm.

A new species of Halopteris (Hydrozoa: Leptothecata) and redescription of Plumularia rotunda from Victoria, Australia

Figure 3 A-D. Plumularia wilsoni. (A-C, from Robe, South Australia, author’s collection). A, stem internodes with hydrotheca. B, hydrocladium

and hydrotheca. C, male gonotheca.. D, hydrotheca of lectotype (NMV F59050). Scale bar: A, B, D, 0.2 mm; C, 1.0 mm.

Note on Plumularia wilsoni Bale, 1926

Figure 3A-D

A microslide NMV F59050 in the Bale collection of Museum

Victoria displays two infertile stems labelled “ Plumularia

delicatula Bale, 1882, Griffiths Point, 1881, J.R.Y. Goldstein”.

Stranks (1993) suggested it may be a syntype of P. delicatula. I

designate this microslide as lectotype of Plumularia delicatula

Bale, 1882. Bale (1882, 1919) provided good descriptions of P.

delicatula but because of pre-occupation of the name [now

Lytocarpia delicatula (Busk, 1852)] in 1926 he renamed the

species Plumularia wilsoni.

Plumularia wilsoni has since been recorded from New

Zealand (Ralph 1961) and Tasmania (Watson 1975). Vervoort

and Watson (2003) suggested that Plumularia wilsoni may be

an extreme variant of Plumularia setaceoides Bale, 1882,

however, comparison of the lectotype of P. delicatula with

material from Tasmania and South Australia (author, unpubl.)

shows constant morphological features that clearly

distinguishes P. wilsoni from P. setaceoides.

J.E. Watson

Acknowledgements

I thank Geoff Pearce and Andrew Newton for diving

companionship and assistance in collecting specimens.

References.

Bale, W.M. 1882. On the Hydroida of south-eastern Australia, with

descriptions of supposed new species, and notes on the genus

Aglaophenia. Journal of the Microscopical Society of Victoria 2:

3-36, pis 12-15.

Bale, W. M. 1884. Catalogue of the Australian Hydroid

Zoophytes. Australian Museum Sydney. Pp. 198, pis 1-19.

Bale, W.M. 1919. Further notes on Australian hydroids - IV. Royal

Society of Victoria 31(2): 119-361, pis 16-17.

Bouillon, J., Gravili, C., Pages, F., Gili, J-M. and Boero F. 2006. An

Introduction to Hydrozoa. Publications Scientifiques du Museum

Paris. 591 pp.

Millard, N.A.H. 1975. Monograph on the Hydroida of southern Africa.

Annals of the South African Museum 68: 1-513.

Mulder, J.F. and Trebilcock, R.E. 1911. Notes on Victorian hydroids

with descriptions of new species. Geelong Naturalist 4(2): 115—

120, pis 2,3.

Mulder, J.F. and Trebilcock, R.E. 1914b. Victorian Hydroida with

description of new species. Geelong Naturalist 6(2): 38, pis 4-6.

Mulder, J.F. and Trebilcock, R.E. 1916. Notes on Victorian Hydroida.

Part VI. Geelong Naturalist, 6: 73-84.

Ralph, PM. 1961. New Zealand thecate hydroids. Part IV. The family

Plumulariidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand,

Zoology 1: 19-74.

Schuchert, P. 1997. Review of the family Halopterididae (Hydrozoa,

Cnidaria). Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden 309: 1-162.

Stranks, T.N. 1993. Catalogue of recent Cnidaria type specimens in

the Museum of Victoria. Occasional Papers of the Museum of

Victoria 6: 1-26.

Verrill, A.E. 1874. Report upon the invertebrate animals of Vineyard

Sound and the adjacent waters, with an account of the physical

characters of the region. United States Commission of Fish and

Fisheries 1871-1872 : 295-778.

Vervoort, W. and Watson, J.E. 2003. Marine Fauna of New Zealand.

Leptothecata (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) (Thecate Hydroids) NIWA

Biodiversity Memoir 119: 1-538.

Warren, E. 1914. On the development of the planula in certain species

of Plumularian hydroids. Annals of the Natal Museum 3: 83-102.

Watson, J.E. 1975. Hydroids of Bruny Island, southern Tasmania.

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 99: 157-176.

Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:47-57 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region

TIMOTHY D. O’Hara (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author: 9538328F-592D-4DD0-9B3F-7D7B135D5263)

AND CAROLINE Harding (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author: FC3B4738-4973-4A74-B6A4-F0E606627674)

Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666E, Melbourne, 3001, AUSTRALIA, tohara@museum.vic.gov.au

http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:512A862A-245D-4C94-AA7D-68CE5B7F9710

Abstract O’Hara, T.D. and Harding, C. 2015. Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region. Memoirs of Museum

Victoria 73: 47-57.

Three new species are described from New Caledonia which have been provisionally placed in the genera

Ophiohamus (Ophiacanthidae), Ophionereis (Ophionereididae) and Ophiodaphne (Amphiuridae) respectively, pending a

comprehensive revision of the Ophiuroidea. In addition, new specimens and morphological variation is described for the

species Amphipholis linopneusti (Amphiuridae). Our knowledge of the deep-sea fauna of New Caledonia remains

incomplete.

Keywords Brittle-stars, marine, continental slope. Pacific Ocean, Ophiohamus, Ophionereis, Ophiodaphne, Amphipholis.

Introduction

Our knowledge about deep-sea biodiversity is inadequate.

Expeditions to even well-sampled regions continually turn up

new species; many of which challenge our preconceived notions

about the evolution of marine animals and their established

taxonomy. One of the best sampled regions at bathyal depths is

the New Caledonian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). For the

past 40 years, the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle of Paris

(MNHN) and the Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement

(IRD) have explored the diversity of the deep-sea benthos of the

New Caledonian EEZ through the Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos

program (TDSB). In all there have been 37 expeditions collecting

approximately 3,800 samples, largely from the continental shelf

and upper bathyal (200-1000 m) zones (S. Samadi pers. comm.).

This paper reports on four species from New Caledonia

that stretch the limits of the existing generic classification of

the Ophiuroidea (brittle-stars). Three are new species with

clearly defined diagnostic characters; the fourth appears to be

part of a morphological complex that possibly contains cryptic

species. New comprehensive genetic data has shown that the

existing classification of ophiuroids is flawed, from genus to

order level (O’Hara et al. 2014, Hugall et al. 2015). Many

morphological characters traditionally used to define genera

and families have evolved multiple times. To date, only

microscopic skeletal characters such as arm spine articulations

have been successfully used to define higher-level taxa

(Martynov 2010; Thuy & Stohr 2011; O’Hara et al. 2014). A

new classification of the Ophiuroidea is required.

The type material of the new species was dried after

preservation. Given the fragile and rare nature of these

specimens we have not attempted dissection or SEM

photography and the species descriptions are only of external

features. The images were taken with a Visionary Digital

Integrated System, using a Canon 5D Mark II camera with

EFIOOmm and MP-E65mm macro-lenses, and montaged

using Zerene Stacker vl.04 software.

Abbreviations include d.d. - disc diameter; stn - station;

MNHN - Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle; MV -

Museum Victoria; AM - Australian Museum; UF - Florida

Natural History Museum.

Systematic Account

Family Ophiacanthidae

Ophiohamus georgemartini sp nov

Fig. 1

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank. 0 rg:act:

11DC6E76-463D-42BE-AD04-25622254FB64

Type material. - New Caledonia. SMIB5: stn DW94, Banc Alis, 22°

19.6'S, 168° 42.8'E, 275 m, 10 Sept 1989, holotype: 1 (MNHN

IE.2013.16001).

Description. Disc 3.8 mm diameter, arms (all broken at tip) at

least 10 times d.d., curved but not coiled. Disc circular, without

interradial incisions, dominated by 5 pairs of large triangular

radial shields, with rounded angles, 0.35 times d.d., contiguous

for most of their length radially, separated at the distal and

proximal ends by small scales, the former a small triangular

T.D. O’Hara & C. Harding

Figure 1. Ophiohamus georgemartini sp. nov., holotype MNHN IE.2013.16001, A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C, ventral view; D ventral view

(with glass sponge removed).

Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region

plate, possibly homologous to the dorsal arm plates. One row of

3-4 polygonal interradial plates separate the radial shields and

a cluster of irregular rounded overlapping disc scales centrally.

A large conical spine is present on the distalmost plate of each

interradius, 0.7 mm high and 0.5 mm in diameter at the base.

On one interradius, there is a second conical spine on the next

proximal interradial plate, on another interradius there are two

small round granules, 0.14 mm diameter; 1-2 similar granules

are also present on some central plates.

Ventral disc covered in several rows of polygonal or

rounded overlapping scales. Wide genital slits. Oral shields

diamond shaped, two times as wide as long. Adoral shields

thick, sausage-shaped, proximal to oral shields, contiguous

interradially, twice as wide as long, extending beyond the

lateral angles of the oral shields, beaded surface. Apical

papilla conical, twice as high as wide; three slender subequal

oral papillae borne on the oral shields, the distal papilla

abutting the adoral shield and overlying the second oral

tentacle pore.

Dorsal arm plates rounded triangular, with straight lateral

edges and slightly convex distal edge, first two plates just

contiguous, others separated widely by the lateral arm plates.

First ventral arm plate small, projecting into jaw space,

contiguous with the second plate. Succeeding ventral arm

plates pentagonal at first, but from segment three becoming

more rectangular or rounded, separate, without a proximal

angle, longer than wide, lateral sides incurved to accommodate

the pore, distal edge convex to truncate. Lateral arm plates

with striated surface for much of the arm, with a large distal

flange bearing up to four arm spines. Separated ventrally by a

small uncalcified area basally. Basal arm spines conical with a

blunt tip, three times as high as the basal diameter, 1.3

segments long, middle spines flattened and covered in minute

thorns, restricted to the lateral side of the arm after the first

two segments. Four arm spines persist to (near) arm tip,

becoming slender and pointed, uppermost spine exceeding a

segment in length, lowest half that length, becoming hooked

(curved and rugose on the proximal side). Arm spine

articulation, rounded volute-shape. A single oval tentacle scale

covers the small tentacle pore, as long as one third of the

ventral arm plate.

Colour (dry): white. Arms originally curved around a small

hollow glass sponge.

Distribution. New Caledonia (275 m)

Remarks. The volute-shaped arm spine articulation surface and

overall appearance indicates that this species is an

Ophiacanthidae (Martynov 2010). Within this family, the new

species is closest to the genera Ophiomitrella and Ophiohamus,

having relatively large disc scales and radial shields, the former

often bearing spines/granules, but lacking the deep interradial

disc incisions characteristic of Ophioplinthaca or the enlarged

ventral interradial disc scale characteristic of Ophiurothamnus.

The new species bears a strong resemblance to Ophiohamus

nanus O’Hara & Stohr, 2006 in the shape of the disc plates,

radial shields, arm plates and arm spines, adoral and oral

shields. But O. nanus differs in having no disc spines or

granules; relatively small radial shields, 1/4 d.d.; several rows

of disc scales interradially; only two oral papillae on most jaw

sides, the outer being widened; and only three arm spines

distally. The new species lacks the interradial incision present

on the holotype of O. nanus but this was not consistently

present on the paratypes. Some species of Ophiomitrella and

Ophiurothamnus have large disc spines or tubercles, either

cylindrical (Ophiomitrella nugator (Koehler, 1922a),

Ophiurothamnus excavatus Koehler, 1922a) or capitate

0 Ophiomitrella conferta (Koehler, 1922b)) but they are never as

robust and conical as the marginal spines in the new species.

The genus-level classification of the Ophiacanthidae is

inadequate (O’Hara & Stohr 2006), with the large genera

Ophiacantha and Ophiomitrella being polyphyletic (O’Hara

& Hugall unpublished genetic data). Until a new classification

is proposed, we place the new species in Ophiohamus.

However, this requires an amendment of the generic diagnosis

to accommodate a species with no interradial disc incision, as

follows: Disc covered with coarse overlapping disc plates and

large contiguous radial shields that are integrated into the disc

plating, spines may be present, a shallow interradial incision

in disc margin may be present, 2-3 spiniform oral papillae,

with a widened outer papillae replacing the distal two, small

oral and adoral shields, oral shields contiguous with the lateral

arm plate and lying distal to the adoral shields, oral tentacles

enclosed within jaw slit. Arms can curve ventrally but don’t

coil, small mostly separate dorsal and ventral arm plates, 3-4

arm spines restricted to the lateral side of the arm, relatively

short, up to, or just exceeding, a segment in length, lowest

spine semi-hooked, small tentacle pore covered by a simple

tentacle scale.

Etymology. Named after the author, George R.R. Martin,

because the large marginal disc spines of the new species look

similar to the crown on the cover of his second book in the

‘Games of Thrones’ series, A Clash of Kings’.

Family Ophionereididae

Ophionereis sykesi sp nov

Fig. 2

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank. 0 rg:act:

F6388E19-397A-482A-90A8-1DA7BE551083

Type material. - New Caledonia. BIOCAL: stn CPI 10, Ride de

Norfolk, 22° 12.38'S, 167° 6.43’E, 275-320 m, 9 Sept 1985, holotype

(MNHN IE.2013.16002); paratypes, same locality: 26 (MNHN

IE.2013.16003).

Other material examined. - New Caledonia. — Bathus 1: stn

DW688, Cote est, 20° 33.17’S, 165° 0.37'E, 270-282 m, 1993: 14

(MNHN IE.2013.6536). - Bathus 2: stn DW716, Sud-ouest, 22°

40.81'S, 167° 12.07'E, 290-308 m, 1993: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6541). -

Bathus 2: stn DW717, Sud-ouest, 22° 44.02'S, 167° 16.58'E, 350-393

m, 1993: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6542). - EBISCO: stn DW2559, NW

Bellona, 20° 28'S, 158° 41'E, 255-280 m, 2005: 1 (MNHN

IE.2007.5401). - EBISCO: stn CP2592, Plateau des Chesterfield, 19°

42'S, 158° 30'E, 273-281 m, 2005: 1 (MNHN IE.2007.5174).

Musorstom 6: stn DW399, Ride des Loyaute, 20° 41.8’S, 167° 0.2’E,

282 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6537). - Musorstom 6: stn DW418,

T.D. O’Hara & C. Harding

Figure 2. Ophionereis sykesi sp. nov., holotype MNHN IE.2013.16002, A, dorsal view of whole animal; B, oblique view of arm showing the

supplementary dorsal arm plates dorsal view of disc and arm base; C, ventral view of disc and arm bases; D, dorsal view of disc and arm base.

Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region

Ride des Loyaute, 20° 41.75'S, 167° 3.35'E, 283 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN

IE.2013.6538). — Musorstom 6: stn DW422, Ride des Loyaute, 20°

26.2’S, 166° 40.31’E, 257 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6539). -

Musorstom 6: stn DW423, Ride des Loyaute, 20° 25.85’S, 166° 40.5’E,

280 m, 1989: 9 (MNHN IE.2013.6540). - SMIB5: stn DW95, 22°

59.7'S, 168° 19.8’E, 140-200 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6544). -

SMIB5: stn DW96, 23° 0’S, 168° 18.7'E, 245 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN

IE.2013.6545). - Vanuatu. GEMINI: stn DW50, Mont Gemini, 20°

59.1'S, 170° 3.5'E, 425 m, 1989: 1 (MNHN IE.2013.6543).

Comparative Material. Ophionereis degeneri (A.H. Clark, 1949):

FFS-0021, French Frigate Shoals, 23° 51.792’N, 166° 11.052'W, 85 m,

12/10/2006, UF 6679. FFS-0026, French Frigate Shoals, 23° 51.702'N,

166° 11.112’W, 12 m, 12/10/2006, UF 6039. Ophionereis variegata

Duncan, 1879: BIOLUM/21, Lizard Is, Big Vicki, 14° 41.4’S, 145°

26.2'E, 2-4 m, 26/10/2005, MV F109863 (3). BIOLUM/30, Lizard Is,

7-14 m, 26/10/2005, MV F109864 (1). CReefs/GD.HI08-10, Heron

Island, south side, 23° 28.4'S, 151° 57.83'E, 18 m, 6/9/2008, MV

F211039 (4). HI09-011, Heron Island, Pinnacle, 23° 28.333'S, 151°

57.028'E, 9-10 m, 13/11/2009, UF 9963. HI09-018, Heron Island,

Sykes Reef, 23° 25.943'S, 152° 2.025’E, 30 m, 14/11/2009, UF 9988.

HI09-098, Heron Island, 23° 27.193’S, 151° 54.027’E, 24-26 m,

24/11/2009, UF 10115.

Description. Disc round, 10.4 mm diameter, arms at least 12

times d.d. (arm tips all broken). Disc covered in rounded

overlapping scales, up to 0.35 mm diameter, primaries evident

but small, centrodorsal 0.4 mm diameter, approximately 18

plates between centrodorsal and interradial margin, marginal

plates slightly larger than adjacent ones, forming a rim to the

disc. Radial shields 1.0 mm long, twice as long as wide, roughly

oval or triangular, with a truncate distal margin, convex lateral

sides and an acute to rounded proximal angle, separated

radially by 3 series of plates, the middle ones flanked by a row

of smaller plates on either side. An irregular series of small

papillae are present along the disc margin over the arm base,

papillae conical with a blunt tip.

Ventral disc covered in similar overlapping plates as the

dorsal surface, approximately 13 plates between oral shields

and margin. Genital slits bordered interradially by an irregular

series of rounded granules, obvious near the oral shield,

becoming cuboid and contiguous from mid-radius to the disc

margin (and often hidden within the slit), confluent with the

papillae over the dorsal arm base. Oral shields rhomboid, just

longer than wide, with rounded angles, and slightly concave

sides. Adoral shields long and slender, tapering to a point

proximally, rounded and widest distally, not contiguous with

neighbouring plates, oral plates visible towards the jaw tip. Five

oral papillae, inner papillae longest and orientated proximally

so that they appear like infradental papillae on amphiurids;

next two papillae rhomboid to rectangular with flattened edge

facing the jaw slit, fourth papillae 1.5 times as wide as high,

rounded distally, touching the adoral shield, and finally a small

recurved papilla at the end of the slit, sitting at the junction of

the adoral plate and first ventral arm plate, protecting the

second oral tube foot. Five teeth, dorsal three largest with thick

enamelled tips, ventral one sits above the inner oral papillae.

Dorsal arm plates 0.75 mm wide, 1.8 times as wide as long,

broadly contiguous throughout arm, hexagonal with a straight

distal edge, straight distolateral sides that are contiguous with

the supplementary arm plate, straight proximolateral sides

contiguous with the lateral arm plate, proximal edge overlayed

by preceding plate. Basal supplementary dorsal arm plates

small, roughly triangular, widest distally, extending proximally

to the angle between the disto- and proximo-lateral sides of

the dorsal arm plates, mostly lateral in position on the arm,

appearing narrow and droplet-shaped from a dorsal projection.

Dorsal arm plates become progressively more triangular in

shape as the distolateral sides shorten and the proximolateral

sides lengthen. Near the arm tip the distal side becomes convex

and the proximolateral sides converge so that succeeding

plates are only contiguous for 1/3 of their width. The

supplementary plate becomes progressively smaller but

persists as a tiny plate to (near) the arm tip. No accessory

lateral arm plates, instead there is a decalcified gap between

neighbouring lateral arm plates, the supplementary dorsal arm

plate and the tentacle pore. First ventral arm plate diamond

shaped, wider than long, the proximal sides contiguous with

the adoral shields and distal oral papillae, the distal angle

overlaps the second arm plate. Succeeding plates roughly

quadrangular, as wide as long, with convex distal and proximal

sides and concave lateral sides that border the tentacle pore,

contiguous for 2/3 of their width. Second ventral arm plate

with conspicuously convex distal edge. Plates becoming longer

than wide near the arm tip, with convergent proximolateral

sides, plates here contiguous for only 1/3 of their length.

Two arm spines on basal two segments, thereafter 3,

slightly flattened to rounded, straight or slightly curved, blunt

apex, on the first free segments the uppermost arm spine is

1.35 mm long, middle 1.5 mm long (to 1.7 segments long) and

lowest 1.3 mm long. All 3 spines persist to the arm tip, slender,

subequal to 1.2 segments in length. One thick ovoid tentacle

scale, to 3/4 of a segment long, hinged on the ventral arm plate;

a smaller rim-like scale on the ventral plate, usually overlain

by the larger one. The ovoid scale persists to the arm tip.

Colour (dried). White with brown markings, notable on the

proximal edge of large disc scales and around the interradial

rim of the radial shields. Dorsal arm plates with dark patch at

the centre of the distal edge, with white markings on either

side. Arm spines with faint brown bands near the base and

around the tip, brown markings around the periphery of the

oral shields and on some basal ventral arm plates.

Paratype variations. From 4 to 10 mm dd. Some dorsal arm

plates are darker in colour, forming narrow bands of 1-2 segments

on the arms, alternating with bands of 3-5 lighter segments.

Distribution. New Caledonia (140-393 m), Vanuatu (425 m).

Remarks. The new species is very similar in overall appearance

to Ophionereis novaezelandiae Mortensen, 1936 known from

the outer shelf and upper slope of southern Australia (formerly

as O. terba Baker & Devaney, 1981) and the north-eastern coast

of New Zealand to the Kermadec Islands (O’Hara 1998, Mills

& O’Hara 2013). This species differs however, in lacking the

papillae around the dorsal arm base, slightly narrower dorsal

arm plates (generally less than 1.7 times as wide as long), and

arms that form tight horizontal coils (see Mills & O’Hara 2013,

fig. 13b). The colour scheme is also brighter on O.

T.D. O’Hara & C. Harding

novaezelandiae-, the two white patches on either side of the

distal midline of the dorsal arm plates are rimmed by a darker

colour forming characteristic ‘m’ shaped markings. The

differences between these species are slight but consistent. The

dorsal papillae are always present on specimens of the new

species, including small specimens of only 5 mm d.d..

Both Ophionereis fusca Brock, 1888 and O. sasakii A.M.

Clark, 1953 have some genital papillae that extend around the

arms until the dorsal surface. However, the papillae are

restricted to the dorsolateral sides of the arm and are

discontinuous radially, i.e. not present distal to the area

between the radial shields. While the genital papillae on O.

fusca are contiguous and blunt, like O. sykesi, they are

separate, spiniform and pointed on O. sasakii. Ophionereis

fusca is covered in prominent dots (see A.M. Clark 1953, fig.

5) and O. sasakii has thick bands of colour on the arms, the

dark and light sections being both approximately 6 segments

long. Dorsal papillae or spines are also characteristic of the

genus Ophiodoris, however, the species in that genus do not

have any supplementary arm plates.

There are specimens of another diminutive Ophionereis

from northern Australia, with similarly patterned dorsal arm

plates to O. novaezelandiae, which has been assigned by Rowe

& Gates (1995) to the Korean species O. variegata Duncan,

1879. The dorsal arm plates of these specimens have a dark

spot in the middle of the distal rim, surrounded by a ‘V’-shaped

patch of white, which in turn is bordered by two dark

longitudinal lines. The arms are also banded, with 2 (rarely to

4) dark segments to every light segment. These specimens

have been generally found from 5 to 100 m depth, often living

in the small holes of dead coral pieces, and only observed by

scuba divers at night (O’Hara, personal observations).

Ophionereis variegata (including the Australian specimens)

differs from other species in having small accessory lateral

arm plates, wedged between the supplementary dorsal arm

plate and the tentacle scale. It is unclear whether the Australian

specimens are really conspecific with O. variegata as the arm

length appears to be considerably longer (to eight times d.d.)

than the four to five times disc diameter reported from Korea

(Duncan 1879), Japan (Matsumoto 1917 as O. porrecta ) and

China (Liao & Clark 1995). Another similar species, O.

lineata H.L. Clark, 1946, has been described from the southern

Great Barrier Reef. We have seen unpublished photos of this

species from the Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity

Project (Pitcher et al. 2007) which confirm the type specimen’s

distinct colour pattern (figured by Clark & Rowe 1971 and

Baker & Devaney 1981), having three to five light segments

alternating with one to two darker ones, and a dark longitudinal

line running down the centre of the dorsal arm surface

bordered by two lighter lines, in turn bordered (on the lighter

segments) by a dense pattern of small dots. Ventrally there are

two faint longitudinal dark lines or series of dots. Two other

species that can have two prominent white dots on each dorsal

arm plate, O. olivacea H.L. Clark, 1901 and O. squamulosa

Koehler, 1913 from the Caribbean (see Hendler 1995 fig. 51),

may also be related. Finally, O. degeneri A.H. Clark, 1949

described from Hawaii, with similar specimens reported from

New Caledonia (Stohr 2011), differs from the other species in

having small circular disc scales and no prominent primary

plates (see Stohr 2011 fig. 15). Moreover, specimens from

Hawaii (UF) do not have white markings on the dorsal arm

plates. Thus, in conclusion, the Australian specimens of ‘O.

variegata’ possibly represent a new species, but this requires

confirmation from a thorough morphological or molecular

comparison with northern Pacific populations. None of these

species have the marginal disc papillae running over the dorsal

arm base that are found in O. sykesi.

A new genus-level revision of the Ophionereididae/

Ophiochitonidae is required. The ophiuroid phylogenies of

O’Hara et al. (2014) and Hugall et al. (2015) show that the

Ophiochitonidae is paraphyletic with respect to the

Ophionereididae. There is a morphological transition from

Ophiochiton, Ophioplax and Ophiodoris with no

supplementary dorsal arm plates, through Ophionereis

australis (H.L. Clark, 1923) where they are restricted to a few

basal segments, to O. novaezelandiae with small supplementary

plates that persist down the arm, and finally to O. annulata

(Le Conte, 1851) and O. schayeri (Muller & Troschel, 1844)

where there are large persistent supplementary arm plates.

The new species is assigned provisionally to Ophionereis

sensu lato but we anticipate a future revision that recognises a

clade including at least this species, O. novaezelandiae, O.

variegata, O. lineata and O. degeneri at the genus or subgenus

level of classification.

Etymology. Named after the wife of TOH, Deborah Sykes, who

has had to put up with him rummaging around the world’s

museum collections for years.

Family Amphiuridae

Ophiodaphne impellera sp nov

Fig. 3

Zoobank LSID. http://z 00 bank. 0 rg/urn:lsid:z 00 bank. 0 rg:act:

4F1FE97F-6B95-40AE-BDA1-092DED147E52

Type material. - New Caledonia. BIOCAL: stn CP23, Sud ouest, 22°

45.8'S, 166° 20.33'E, 2040 m, 28 Aug 1985, holotype (MNHN

IE.2013.16004). — paratype, same locality (MNHN IE.2013.16005)

Description. Disc 5.5 mm diameter, rounded pentagonal in

outline; arms emerging from underneath the disc, at least 2.5

times d.d. (all broken). Disc completely covered in rugose

scales. Radial shields 0.31 times d.d., D-shaped to pentagonal,

with an acute proximal angle, straight to slightly convex

adradial margin, convex abradial margin, and rounded distal

edge, contiguous for distal half of length but separated

proximally by 2 small disc plates, rugose surface. The centre of

the disc is dominated by the primary plates with small

intercalary plates at their corners, primary plates with thickened

borders and tuberculate centre. Interradius with several

overlapping plates, one or two plates wide proximally, then

becoming more numerous near the margin, large plates with

thickened distal edge, smaller marginal plates particularly

rugose. A row of small plates border the radial shields distally

over the arm. Ventral surface covered in thin flat, circular

scales, persisting to oral shields.

Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region

Figure 3. Ophiodaphne impellera sp. nov., holotype MNHN IE.2013.16004, A, dorsal view, B, ventral view.

T.D. O’Hara & C. Harding

A pair of pointed papillae at each jaw apex; 3-4 oral papillae

on each jaw side, the proximal one wide and rim-like, pointed

proximally (probably the first oral tentacle or buccal scale); the

next 2 papillae squarish with rounded corners, the outer of the 2

slightly larger, sometimes a tiny scale is present either distally at

the interstice of the oral and first ventral arm plate, protecting the

second oral tentacle pore, or between the first and second oral

papillae. Ventral surface of the oral plates triangular in shape,

meeting broadly within, beaded surface, the pair of oral plates

forming a wide obtuse shaped jaw. Teeth twice as wide as long

with a broad enamelled margin. Oral shields roughly diamond¬

shaped, wide as long, with an obtuse proximal angle and rounded

to lobed distal margin, acute lateral angles. Madreporite twice as

large as other shields. Adoral shields tumid, wider than oral

shield, trapezoid, widest radially, broadly contiguous interradially.

Bursal slit extends to near disc margin, genital plates obscured.

Dorsal arm plates twice as wide as long, with an obtuse

proximal angle, convex distal margin and rounded lateral

angles, always separate, distal section of the plate with slightly

tuberculate surface. Lateral arm plates beaded, meeting above

and below arm, except basally where there is a small decalcified

area between the ventral arm plates. Arm spine articulation

formed from 2 parallel ridges, orientated radially. First ventral

arm plate rounded triangular with a curved distal and obtuse

proximal angle, forming distal margin to relatively wide oral

cavity between jaws. Second to fourth plates twice as long as

wide, roughly pentagonal with a straight to slightly convex

distal edge, rounded distolateral angles, straight sides and

convergent proximal edges that form an obtuse angle on the

midline. The mid of the distal edge and the obtuse proximal

angle can be produced into a small lobe that partially fills the

decalcified area. Plates becoming progressively more triangular

as the lateral edges shorten, becoming longer than wide distally,

separate at first, becoming just contiguous distally. Three arm

spines, rounded in cross section, tapering to a blunt tip, subequal,

less than a segment in length basally, with middle spine slightly

thickened. Uppermost spine reduced in size after basal

segments, becoming absent after mid-arm. Lowermost spine

becoming bottle-shaped with a narrow neck, which becomes

curved, pseudo hook-shaped, on distal segments. Two small

oval tentacle scales on first 4 segments, the one on the lateral

arm plate larger than the one on the ventral arm plate,

incompletely covering the pore. The smaller scale can be absent

on the basal segments and is never present after the fourth.

Colour (dry): white.

Paratype 5.0 mm d.d. With similar morphology. Only 3

oral papillae, sometimes irregular in shape or position.

Madreporite with rugose surface. Only 2 arm spines after the

first few segments.

Distribution. New Caledonia (2040 m)

Remarks. These specimens have the two apical papillae and arm

spine articulations characteristic of the Amphiuridae (A.M.

Clark 1970; Martynov 2010). Within that family we provisionally

place them in the genus Ophiodaphne on the basis of similar oral

frames, with oral shields smaller than the thick adoral shields

which meet broadly within, arm plates and hooked distal arm

spines. The large female specimens of the type species,

Ophiodaphne formata (Koehler, 1905), also have three oral

papillae, but differ in having spiniform apical papillae and teeth,

up to six cylindrical arm spines, narrow quadrangular radial

shields, one oval tentacle scale and fine smooth disc plates (see

Guille 1981). Large females of the second species, Ophiodaphne

scripta (Koehler, 1904b) have a fused oral papilla with a minutely

denticulate edge, fully contiguous D-shaped radial shields, small

round disc plates marked by small grooves, a single wide tentacle

scale, and several hook-shaped arm spines distally (see

Cherbonnier & Guille 1978). In both previously-described

species, the male is a dwarf that is frequently found clinging to

the oral surface of the female, and they are generally found

commensal with sand dollars (Tominaga et al. 2004) or (rarely)

crinoids (Cherbonnier & Guille 1978). We refrained from

dissecting the two known dry specimens of the new species and

thus cannot determine their gender. Nor is there any information

that these specimens were found in association with sea urchins

or crinoids. In many ways the three species are quite

morphologically diverse, and it is possible that the shared

characters are convergent - perhaps adaptations to an epizoic

lifestyle. The new species was found considerably deeper than

the other two (0-630 m) which are widely distributed across the

Indo-west Pacific Ocean. However, we see no advantage to

assigning the new species to a separate genus until we have

adequate molecular evidence. As discussed under the next

species, further study is required to determine what characters

are useful to define genera within the Amphiuridae.

The mouth parts of Ophiodaphne formata and O. scripta

are quite derived and there has been some debate whether they

(and the similar sexually-dimorphic genus Ophiosphaera ) are

better placed within the Amphiuridae or Ophiactidae.

Martynov (2010) however, found that both genera had arm

spine articulations that are conclusively of the amphiurid type.

Etymology. Named after the similar-looking impeller water

pump that failed on TOH’s attempted crossing of Bass Strait on

the yacht Irene.

Amphipholis linopneusti Stohr, 2001

Fig. 4

Amphiura crassa (in part).- Koehler, 1904a: 83-84, pi. 15(1-2)

[Non Amphiodia erassa (Koehler, 1904); see Stohr, 2001].

Amphiodia crassa.—Koehler, 1922a: 167-168, pi. 69(11).—Clark,

A.M., 1970: fig. 5c-d [Non Amphiodia crassa (Koehler, 1904); see

Stohr, 2001],

Amphipholis linopneusti Stohr, 2001: 319-322, fig. la-h.

Material examined. - New Caledonia. BIOCAL: stn DW44, Ride de

Norfolk, 22° 47.3'S, 167° 14.3'E, 440-450 m, 30 Aug 1985: 10 (MNHN

IE.2013.16006). - EBISCO: stn DW2613, Plateau des Chesterfield,

19° 37'S, 158° 41.9998’E, 519-522 m, 2005: 7 (MNHN IE.2007.7480).

— Australia. FR0688: stn 01, east of Cape York, Queensland,

Australia, 10° 29.82'S, 144° 0.38'E, 495-534 m, 1988: 14 (AM J23292).

— Papua New Guinea. BIOPAPUA: stn CP3692, Pointe Sud-Est

Manus Island, 2° 10'S, 147° 19'E, 408-448 m, 2010: 1 (MNHN

IE.2012.686). - BIOPAPUA: stn CP3645, Tami Island, Golfe de

Huon, 6° 44'S, 147° 50'E, 403-418 m, 2010: 20 (MNHN IE.2012.319).

— Vanuatu. Santo: stn AT122, SE Malekula Island, 16° 37'S, 168° 0'E,

567-580 m, 2006: 1 (MNHN IE.2009.1990).

Enigmatic ophiuroids from the New Caledonian region

Figure 4. Amphipholis linopneusti Stohr, 2001, MNHN IE.2013.16006, A, dorsal view of specimen 1, B, ventral view of specimen 1; C, dorsal

view of specimen 2, B, ventral view of specimen 2.

T.D. O’Hara & C. Harding

Distribution. Fiji (260-651 m), New Caledonia and Vanuatu

(440-580 m), NE Australia (495-534 m), Papua New Guinea

(403-418 m), Indonesia (450-877 m), Philippines (742-454 m)

Remarks. This species is sexually dimorphic. The lowermost

basal arm spines of males are enlarged, sometimes flattened

and hour-glass-shaped, whereas on the females they are

cylindrical with a blunt rounded apex (Fig. 4). In many ways,

this species is very divergent from other Amphipholis

species. The disc scales are raised, with the radial shields in

particular being surrounded by sunken borders. The arm

spines are thick and short, almost capitate in some specimens.

The single tentacle scale is large, often erect (on preserved

material), hinged on the lateral arm plate but angled outward

away from the mid-radius. The two oral papillae on the side

of each jaw can vary in size, sometimes the inner one is

larger, although it is always longer than wide and pointed

proximally. The distal one is square to rectangular, typically

wider than long. Unusually, the species is also epizoic on sea

urchins.

Most Amphipholis species have two small tentacle scales

(A.M. Clark, 1970). Exceptions include Amphipholis vitax

Koehler, 1904a, (which also has atypical long narrow

divergent radial shields), A. pentacantha H.L. Clark, 1915, A.

murmanica Djakonov, 1929 and A. nudipora Koehler, 1914

which have rudimentary tentacle scales on basal segments or

not at all. Amphipholis tuberosa Stohr, 2011 also has only a

few small tentacle scales basally. This species has

tuberculated disc plates and is very similar to Amphistigma

watsonae Baker, 1979. Finally Amphipholis loripes Koehler,

1922a was recently transferred to Amphiodia (Amphispina)

by Stohr, 2011 after spinous plates were discovered distal to

the radial shields. These species do not have a homogeneous

morphology. Indeed, genetic evidence (Hugall & O’Hara

unpublished data) indicates that many amphiurid genera

( Amphiura, Amphipholis, Amphioplus) are polyphyletic. We

refrain from establishing a new genus for A. linopneusti until

these genera are comprehensively revised.

There is also considerable morphological variation

within Amphipholis linopneusti. As well as the sexual

dimorphic characters, the number and shape of the other arm

spines varies. There are up to seven arm spines in the

BIOCAL stn DW44 lot (which contains only females). In the

type series (Stohr 2001), arm spines varied from being

elongate (up to four times as long as wide) to small and stout

(two times as long as wide). The shape of the oral shield also

varies from round to triangular to oval (longer than wide).

More research is required to determine whether this taxon

includes one or more cryptic species. The taxon is distributed

throughout the Indonesian-west-Pacific region at upper

continental slope and rarely continental shelf (Koehler,

1922a) depths.

Acknowledgements

We thank Marc Eleaume, Nadia Ameziane, Sarah Samadi and

Juliette Delavenne for hosting or supporting several visits of

TOH to the MNHN, and David Paul (Museum Victoria) for

support using the Visionary digital Integrated System.

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:59-93 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and

species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

P. MARK O’LOUGHLIN 1 * (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:97B95F20-36CE-4A76-9DlB-26A59FBCCE88)

JESSICA SKARBNIK-LOPEZ 2 (http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:ACFE929F-920D-4AC3-80FD-70CD51319A77)

MELANIE Mackenzie 3 (http://zoobank.org/um:lsid:zoobank.org:author:5E3E21B9-E3DC-4836-8731-D5FD10D00CBF)

DlDIER VanDEnSpIEGEL 4 (http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:CE8C3D01-28AD-43F7-9D4F-04802E68CBlA)

' * Marine Biology Section, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia (pmoloughlin@

edmundrice.org)

2 South Australian Museum, GPO Box 234, Adelaide, SA 5001 (jessica.skarbnik@gmail.com)

3 Marine Biology Section, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia (mmackenzie@

museum.vic.gov.au)

4 Biological Collection and Data Management Unit, Royal museum for central Africa, B-3080, Tervuren, Belgium

(dvdspiegel@africamuseum.be)

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pmoloughlin@edmundrice.org

http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:30F9122F-5584-4EEB-A7B0-0EACB63991D2

Abstract O’Loughlin, P.M., Skarbnik-Lopez, J., Mackenzie, M. and VandenSpiegel, D. 2015. Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau,

with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 59-93.

A new genus of holothuroid, Calcamariina O’Loughlin, and five new species of holothuroids, with authors

O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez, from near Heard and McDonald Islands on the Kerguelen Plateau in the Southern Ocean

are described: Calcamariina hibberdi, Calcamariina moorea, Ecliinocucumis ampla, Psolus heardi, Paracaudina

championi. The new species Paracaudina championi has the diagnostic characters of both Paracaudina Heding and

Hedingia Deichmann. Molpadia violacea Studer is raised out of synonymy with Molpadia musculus Risso. Molpadia

violacea is reviewed, and an extended distribution around Antarctica is proposed. The distribution of Molpadia magdae

O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin et al.) is extended from the South Shetland Islands to Prydz Bay. Pseudopsolus macquariensis

forma gruai Cherbonnier & Guille is raised to species status. Laevocnus O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin et al.) is an objective

junior synonym of Pentactella Verrill. A sensu stricto diagnosis is provided for Pentactella. The always smaller, brood-

protecting Psolus ephippifer Thomson specimens may be juveniles of the sympatric and always larger, non-brooding,

Psolus paradubiosus Carriol & Feral specimens. Comprehensive lists are provided for all holothuroids that have been

reported from the vicinity of Heard and McDonald Islands, and for the Kerguelen Plateau. Individual lists are provided for

all holothuroid specimens from the vicinity of Heard and McDonald Islands that are held in Museum Victoria, the South

Australian Museum, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Holothuroid species variably common to the Kerguelen

Plateau, coast of Antarctica, Macquarie Island, Magellanic Region and Bouvetoya Island are listed.

Keywords Antarctica, Challenger, Gazelle, HIMI, Bouvetoya, Heard, Kerguelen, Macquarie, Magellanic, new species, Calcamariina,

Echinocucumis, Hedingia, Molpadia, Paracaudina, Pentactella, Pseudopsolus, Psolus.

Introduction

Heard and McDonald Islands are Australian territories (since

1947) on the southern Kerguelen Plateau that lies central-

south of the Indian Ocean and south of the Antarctic

Convergence. Heard and McDonald Islands and surrounding

territorial waters were inscribed as a UNESCO World

Heritage Site in 1997. Extending beyond the territorial waters

is an Exclusive Economic Zone that includes four Marine

Reserves. Names have been given to the principal regions

within the EEZ (Figure 1 map). The Marine Reserves include

the Coral and Aurora Banks to the northwest, Discovery

Bank to the north, and Shell Bank to the northeast. The

Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

(ANARE) was established in 1947 to conduct the Australian

Antarctic program. In 1948 the Australian Antarctic Division

(AAD) was established to administer the program. For the

past decade the name ANARE has fallen out of use and been

replaced by AAD. Following collecting from the Kerguelen

Plateau by the HMS Challenger and SMS Gazelle in 1874, the

US Transit of Venus Expedition in 1875, and The British

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Australian and New Zealand Research Expedition

(BANZARE) over the years 1929-1931, ANARE commenced

expeditions in 1967 to the now Exclusive Economic Zone for

Heard and McDonald Islands (HIMI).

A series of AAD marine survey expeditions has recovered

an extensive collection of sea cucumbers from HIMI that are

held by the Australian Antarctic Division at Kingston in

southern Tasmania (specimens not registered), the Tasmanian

Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart, the South Australia

Museum in Adelaide, and Museum Victoria in Melbourne.

Mark O’Loughlin has established the systematic identity of

the specimens in NMV, SAM and TMAG. Ty Hibberd and

Kirrily Moore determined the identity of specimens that have

remained in the AAD facility at Kingston by comparison

with voucher specimens identified by Mark O’Loughlin.

Tissue samples from preserved specimens collected in recent

surveys have been sent to Gustav Paulay in the University of

Florida for genetic sequencing. COl sequences from some of

these specimens have informed this study (see O’Loughlin et

al. 2010). A comprehensive species list and individual

museum specimen lists are provided below for all holothuroids

reported from HIMI. Some other localities where HIMI

species are reported are detailed and discussed.

The generic names Thy one Oken, 1815 and Psolus Oken,

1815 were introduced by Oken (1815) in a work that was

suppressed by the ICZN in Opinion 417 because the paper

was not consistently binominal. Gustav Paulay and Mark

O’Loughlin have requested the ICZN to reinstate the names

(Case 3598; Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 69(4) Dec

2012). The case is awaiting decision. We use the name Psolus

Oken, 1815 provisionally.

Methods

Specimens collected by the FV Southern Champion were

frozen and subsequently preserved in 70% ethanol. Tissue

samples from recently preserved specimens were sent to

Gustav Paulay (University of Florida) for molecular genetic

sequencing. Jessica Skarbnik-Lopez photographed the large

specimens in this study with a Nikon D70 DSLR camera

using a Nikkon 105 mm lens (and 2x adapter). Jessica

Skarbnik-Lopez and Melanie Mackenzie photographed the

small specimens using a Leica DC5000 high-resolution

digital camera system with auto montage software. Didier

VandenSpiegel took the scanning electron microscope

(SEM) images. Ossicles were cleared from tissue using

commercial bleach, air dried, mounted on aluminium stubs

and coated with gold. Observations were made using a JEOL

JSM-6480LV SEM. Measurements were made with Smile

view software. Slide photos of the Studer specimens on loan

from ZMB were taken in NMV by Mark Darragh (see Figure

16). Melanie Mackenzie took the photo of the phosphatising

Molapdia table through a microscope using a Canon

PowerShot D30 waterproof camera.

Abbreviations

Australian Antarctic Division

Australian Fisheries Management Authority

Australian National Antarctic Research

Expeditions

The British, Australian and New Zealand

Antarctic Research Expedition

Collaborative East Antarctic Marine Census

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial

Research Organization

Exclusive Economic Zone

Fisheries Audit Services (NZ0 Ltd.)

Heard and McDonald Islands territorial waters

and Exclusive Economic Zone

International Commission on Zoological

Nomenclature

Museum national d'Histoire naturelle

UF tissues sequence code

Museum Victoria, with specimen registration

prefix F

South Australian Museum, with specimen

registration prefix K

Fishing Vessel Southern Champion

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, with

registration prefix H

Florida Museum of Natural History, University

of Florida

United States National Museum of Natural

History (Smithsonian Institution)

Museum fiir Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for

Evolutionary and Biodiversity Research at the

Humboldt University, Berlin.

Reports of HIMI holothuroids

In the first months of 1874 specimens representing five

holothuroid species were collected from the HIMI region by

HMS Challenger and reported by Theel (1886): Pentactella

laevigata Verrill, 1876 (as Cucumaria laevigata) at Challenger

Station 151 (immediately north of Heard I.; -52.99 73.59, 137

m); Pentactella serrata (Theel, 1886) (as Cucumaria serrata)

at Challenger Station 150 ( Coral Bank NW of Heard I.; -52.07

71.37, 274 m); Pentactella intermedia (Theel, 1886) (as

Cucumaria serrata var intermedia ) at Challenger Stations

150, 151 (see above); Psolidium poriferum (Studer, 1876) (=

Psolus incertus Theel, 1886) at Challenger Stations 150, 151

(see above); Psolus ephippifer Thomson, 1877 at Challenger

Stations 150, 151 (see above).

Subsequently the SMS Gazelle arrived at the Kerguelen

Islands in October 1874 and collected holothuroid specimens

representing five species that were reported by Studer (1876):

Pentactella laevigata Verrill, 1876; Psolidium poriferum

(Studer, 1876) (as Cuvieria porifera Studer, 1876);

Trachy thy one muricata Studer, 1876; Molpadia violacea

Studer, 1876; Sigmodota contorta (Ludwig, 1875) (as

Sigmodota purpurea Studer, 1876). All were from near the

Kerguelen Islands, none from the HIMI region although all

have been subsequently reported from HIMI. Mark O’Loughlin

AAD

AFMA

ANARE

BANZARE

CEAMARC

CSIRO

EEZ

FAS

HIMI

ICZN

MNHN

MOL AF

NMV

SAMA

TMAG

USNM

ZMB

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

examined the Studer holotypes while on loan to NMV from

ZMB. Photos of the preserved Studer holotypes are provided

in Figures 14 and 16.

In January 1875 The United States Transit of Venus

Expedition collected Pentactella laevigata Verrill, 1876 from

the Kerguelen Islands.

O’Loughlin (2009) reported on the BANZARE (1929-

1931) holothuroids, some of which were collected from around

the Kerguelen Islands but none from the HIMI region. Earlier,

O’Loughlin (2002) had reported on selected BANZARE and

ANARE holothuroids that included ANARE specimens from

HIMI: Heterocucumis godeffroyi (Semper, 1867) (as

Cucumaria godeffroyi)-, Staruocucumis liouvillei (Vaney,

1914); Trachythyone lechleri (Lampert, 1885); Sigmodota

contorta (Ludwig, 1875) (as Chiridota pisanii Ludwig, 1887).

Three specimens from HIMI that were listed by O’Loughlin

& VandenSpiegel (2010) under Sigmodota contorta were

subsequently identified as Paradota weddellensis Gutt, 1990.

Eight marine expeditions to HIMI, commencing in 1967,

have collected holothuroid specimens (Table 1). A map is

provided for the various regions of the HIMI (Figure 1). In this

paper we report all holothuroid species collected from the

HIMI region (Table 2), and the individual specimens held in

NMV (Table 3), SAMA (Table 4), and TMAG (Table 5).

Hibberd & Moore (2009) have provided a field guide to the

holothuroids of HIMI that is available on-line at: http://

heardisland.antarctica.gov.au/_d at a/ass ets/pdf_

file/0015/2166/HIMI_Invertebrate_Identification_guidel.pdf

We note that this paper indicates a need for an update

of this guide. Reidentifications and new species are

reported below.

Order Dendrochirotida Grube, 1840

Family Cucumariidae Ludwig, 1894

Subfamily Cucumariinae Ludwig, 1894 sensu Panning 1949

Remarks. The subfamily Cucumariinae has plates only in the

body wall, while the second subfamily Colochirinae Panning,

1949 has plates and cup/basket ossicles in the body wall.

Calcamariina O’Loughlin gen. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:C8E4BCE3-5C82-421B-

A0F5-49990CC0FE8E

Diagnosis. Cucumariinid genus; body fusiform, up-turned tail;

tentacles eight and two small ventral; complete calcareous

body cover of imbricating thick, single-layered, knobbed,

perforated plates, or thick, knobbed, rod-plates, some plates

and rod-plates with spinous or knobbed part-margins; complete

cover of tube feet surmounting calcareous papillae; absence of

cups and tables; tentacles with thick rod-plates, rods and small

perforated plates, lacking rosettes.

Type species and locality. Calcamariina hibberdi O’Loughlin

& Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (south Kerguelen Plateau)

Second assigned species. Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin

& Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (south Kerguelen Plateau)

Etymology. Named Calcamariina from the Latin calx

(meaning “chalk/limestone”, referring to the calcareous body

wall), and mariina (from the sub-family Cucumariinae).

Remarks. The complete body-cover of thick, calcareous

single-layered perforated plates or rod-plates some with

spinous or knobbed part-margins, complete cover of tube feet

surmounting calcareous papillae, and absence of cups or

tables, is a unique generic combination amongst the

cucumariinid genera. There are no near-similar genera. We

are most reluctant to establish yet another genus, but we cannot

find a cucumariinid genus into which we can provisionally

assign the new species.

Calcamariina hibberdi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp.

nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:548D6DA2-AAC9-4C4C-

B403-56BD914DD3CE

Tables 1-3, 5, 6; figures 1-3, 6.

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau,

NE Heard Island, Shell Bank, AAD Southern Champion cruise 46

haul 125, beam trawl, -51.69 76.19,234 m, 25 Jun 2007, NMV F165750

(UF tissue sequence code MOL AF703).

Paratypes. HIMI, Aurora Bank, SC26(184), 247 m, 1 May 2003,

TMAG H3542 (1); S Shell Bank, SC26(253), 341 m, 8 May 2003,

TMAG H3543 (1).

Description. Body fusiform with slightly up-turned oral and

anal ends, anal end tapered to a tail, curved semi-U-shaped

body up to 15 mm wide (U-shape width), mid-body diameter

up to 6 mm (TMAG H3543); body grey/off-white, hard,

calcareous, covered with low rounded calcareous papillae

each with apical terminal tube foot, papillae with tube feet

more numerous ventrally than dorsally. Five anal scales.

Calcareous ring cucumariid-like, plates with high anterior

radial and inter-radial prolongations, lacking posterior

prolongations. Tentacles dendritic, 8 large, 2 ventral small.

Single polian vesicle.

Ossicles of body wall and bases of papillae thick

perforated plates, irregularly oval to elongate to triangular,

perforations never two large perforations centrally in plates,

single-layered, variably knobbed on plate surface and

thickened, generally smooth at the end embedded in the body

wall, many with spinous marginal projections at narrow end

of plate that projects from the body wall, ossicles up to about

550 pm long. Extended tube feet above papillae about 650 pm

long; tube feet with endplates and support plates; endplate

diameters variable, up to about 200 pm; tube foot/papilla wall

supported by an open curved mesh of contiguous small

perforated plates and rod-plates, elongate, curved, variable

form but typically with four large central perforations and

few distal small perforations, inner concave plate margin

smooth, outer convex margin with blunt denticulations, plates

up to about 140 pm long. Tentacles with small concave

perforated plates, marginally denticulate, about 60-100 pm

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

across; curved, thick, perforated plates, perforated rod-plates

and rods, bluntly denticulate on the outer margin, up to 320

p m long; lacking rosettes.

Distribution. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau, Aurora

and Shell Banks , 234-341 m.

Etymology. Named for Ty Hibberd who followed Kirrily

Moore in the curation and identification of the HIMI

collections, and with appreciation of his generous

collaboration on the systematics of sea cucumbers from

Eastern Antarctica and HIMI.

Remarks. The holotype was donated to NMV by the AAD.

Initial preservation was by freezing, with subsequent transfer

to 70% ethanol. The combination of generic diagnostic

characters of Calcamariina O’Loughlin gen. nov.

distinguishes the two species Calcamariina hibberdi

O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. and Calcamariina

moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (below) from

all other cucumariinid species. Calcamariina hibberdi is in

turn distinguished from Calcamariina moorea (below) in the

Remarks for that species. The paratypes above were taken by

Southern Champion cruise 26 and are registered in TMAG.

There are probably more specimens of this new species held

but not registered and not readily accessible in the AAD

in Kingston.

The superficially similar species Neopsolidium

kerguelensis (Theel, 1886) that also occurs on the Kerguelen

Plateau is distinguished from the Calcamariina species by

the former having narrow bare ventral inter-radii, and cups

and multi-layered ossicles in the body wall (illustrated here in

Figure 6).

Figure 1. Map of the southern part of the Kergulen Plateau detailing the Heard and McDonald Islands Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone,

Marine Reserve and localities (map is courtesy of the Australian Antarctic Division © Commonwealth of Australia 2015). Names on the map in

commas are used in this study but not formally recognized by the AAD.

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Table 1. Voyages to HIMI that collected Holothuroidea specimens.

Year, code

Research vessel,

cruise

Collector

Museum

collection

Locations visited

1967 AD 1

Umitaka Maru

R. Poole

NMV

off Heard Island

1985 HRD

Nella Dan

M. Norman

NMV

off Heard Island

1990 AA

Aurora Australis

W. Zeidler, L. Hobbs

SAMA

Aurora, Coral, Discovery, Pike, Shell Banks,

Gunnari Ridge, off Heard I., off McDonald Is,

North-east Plateau, Southern Slope

1992 AA

Aurora Australis

C. Materia

NMV

Aurora, Pike, Shell Banks, Gunnari Ridge, off

Heard I., North-east Plateau, Southern Slope,

Western Plateau

1993 HRD

Aurora Australis

T. Stranks

NMV

Gunnari Ridge, Heard I., North-east Plateau, Shell

Bank, Southern Slope

2003 SC

Southern

Champion 26

2 T. Lamb,

3 S. Davenport,

4 C. Sutherland

AAD,

TMAG

Aurora, Coral, Shell Banks, Western Plateau

2007 SC

Southern

Champion 46

2 R. Kilpatrick,

3 J. Hamill,

4 T. Cantwell

AAD,

NMV

Shell Bank, North-east Plateau

2008 SC

Southern

Champion 50

3 J. Hamill,

4 T. Cantwell

AAD,

NMV

Gunnari Ridge, Pike Bank, Southern Slope

Notes for Table 1: 1 Data in CSIRO ‘Cronulla files’; 2 AAD; 3 AFMA; 4 FAS

Table 2. Holothuroidea species from HIMI (systematic identity established by Mark O’Loughlin).

Order

Species

AAD code

Aspidochirotia

Pseudostichopus peripatus (Sluiter, 1901) 1

HOL 17

Pseudostichopus spiculiferus (O’Loughlin, 2002) 1

HOL 9

Zygothuria lactea (Theel, 1886) 1

HOL 26

Synallactes species 2

HOL 2

Dendrochirotida

Calcamariina hibberdi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

None

Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov

HOL 14

Echinocucumis ampla O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

HOL 10

Heterocucumis godeffroyi (Semper, 1867)

HOL. 4

Neopsolidium kerguelensis (Theel, 1886)

HOL 19

Pentactella intermedia (Theel, 1886) 3

HOL 20

Pentactella laevigata Verrill, 1876 3

HOL 3

Pentactella serrata (Theel, 1886) 3

HOL 21

Psolidium poriferum (Studer, 1876)

HOL 7

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Order

Species

AAD code

Psolus antarcticus (Philippi, 1857) 4

HOL 23

Psolus ephippifer Thomson, 1877 5

HOL 15

Psolus paradubiosus Carriol & Feral, 1985 5

HOL 6

Psolus heardi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

HOL 23

Staurocucumis liouvillei (Vaney, 1914) 6

HOL 1

Trachythyone lechleri (Lampert, 1885)

None

Trachythyone muricata Studer, 1876

HOL 8

Molpadida

Paracaudina championi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

HOL 11

Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876 7

HOL 12

Synaptida

Sigmodota contorta (Ludwig, 1875)

None

(Apodida)

Paradota weddellensis Gutt, 1990

HOL 5

Notes on determinations in Table 2:

Uncertain determinations; lack supporting genetic data.

2 Probable new species (very damaged specimen).

3 Phylogenetic COl tree in O’Loughlin et al. 2014 supports discrete species.

4 C01 sequence clades with Psolus antarcticus specimens from Antarctica and Bouvetoya Island within a species complex.

5 Similar morphological appearance and ossicles. The always smaller, brood-protecting Psolus ephippifer may be juveniles of the

sympatric and always larger, non-brood-protecting Psolus paradubiosus.

6 7 C01 sequences clade closely with those of Antarctic coast specimens. (See phylogenetic trees in O’Loughlin et al. 2010).

Museum Specimens of HIMI Holothuroidea

Many specimens of HIMI Holothuroidea are held at the AAD in Kingston (Tasmania) and cannot be readily accessed. Those that

are registered in museum collections and accessible are listed in the three tables below.

Table 3. Holothuroidea specimens from HIMI held in NMV.

Reg No

NMV F

Species

Station

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

165750

Calcamariina hibberdi sp. nov.

SC46Q25)

-51.69 76.19

234

25/06/2007

85002

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

AA92 28

-51.56 76.04

230-247

30/01/1992

85003

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

HRD93 71 S

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

85004

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

HRD 006

-53.00 73.38

03/10/1985

165735

Echinocucumis ampla sp. nov.

SC46(479)

-50.68 74.62

708

30/07/2007

198492

Echinocucumis ampla sp. nov.

SC46(479)

-50.68 74.62

708

30/07/2007

85001

Heterocucumis godejfroyi

HRD93 49 B

-52.61 75.29

209

18/09/1993

84999

Heterocucumis godejfroyi

AA92 35

-51.27 75.61

367-379

31/01/1992

85000

Heterocucumis godejfroyi

AA92 29

-51.64 76.03

235-250

30/01/1992

110516

Heterocucumis godejfroyi

HRD93 71 S

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Reg No

NMVF

Species

Station

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

110520

Heterocucumis godeffroyi

AA92 41

-51.29 71.98

250-252

03/02/1992

76842

Molpadia violacea

AD 40

-52.95 73.34

112

03/02/1967

165737

Molpadia violacea

SC50(010)

-51.31 71.77

273

31/05/2008

84997

Neopsolidium kerguelensis

HRD 007

-53.16 73.22

62-80

04/10/1985

165736

Paracaudina championi sp. nov.

SC46(479)

-50.68 74.62

708

30/07/2007

84977

Paradota weddellensis

AA92 01

-52.94 73.36

159-176

23/01/1992

84978

Paradota weddellensis

AA92 08

-52.68 72.94

215-228

25/01/1992

84979

Paradota weddellensis

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

84982

Pentactella intermedia

HRD 007

-53.16 73.22

62-80

04/10/1985

84984

Pentactella intermedia

HRD 002

-53.02 73.83

85-93

02/10/1985

85009

Pentactella laevigata

AD 41

-52.93 73.34

177

03/02/1967

71905

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 01

-52.94 73.36

159-176

23/01/1992

66723

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 42

-51.35 71.78

297-301

03/02/1992

66726

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 33

-51.53 75.45

506-510

31/01/1992

67296

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 50

-52.46 72.42

449-457

08/02/1992

66724

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 43

-51.30 71.93

252-248

05/02/1992

67298

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 43

-51.30 71.93

252-248

05/02/1992

66732

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 24

-52.19 74.89

274-288

29/01/1992

67312

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 12

-52.71 74.22

190-202

26/01/1992

66729

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 13

-52.71 74.46

185-204

26/01/1992

85010

Pentactella laevigata

HRD93 20 B

-51.27 75.69

265-281

08/09/1993

85008

Pentactella laevigata

HRD93 49 B

-52.61 75.29

209

18/09/1993

85013

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

66728

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 29

-51.64 76.03

235-250

30/01/1992

85011

Pentactella laevigata

HRD 006

-53.00 73.38

03/10/1985

67297

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 48

-52.42 72.11

226-231

06/02/1992

85007

Pentactella laevigata

HRD93 51 B

-52.85 74.14

173

18/09/1993

66725

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 09

-52.53 73.16

229

25/01/1992

71904

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 17

-52.68 75.16

205-297

27/01/1992

66730

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 08

-52.68 72.94

215-228

25/01/1992

71903

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 14

-52.68 75.02

410-513

26/01/1992

66731

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 19

-52.74 75.10

391-421

28/01/1992

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Reg No

NMVF

Species

Station

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

85012

Pentactella laevigata

HRD 008

-53.20 73.10

200

04/10/1985

85014

Pentactella laevigata

HRD 008

-53.20 73.10

200

04/10/1985

85006

Pentactella laevigata

HRD93 50 B

-52.75 74.14

189

18/09/1993

71902

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 05

-52.92 74.14

149-172

24/01/1992

85005

Pentactella laevigata

HRD93 71 S

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

66727

Pentactella laevigata

AA92 41

-51.29 71.98

250-252

03/02/1992

165738

Pentactella laevigata

SC50(258)

-52.44 75.18

265

30/06/2008

84981

Pentactella serrata

AA92 35

-51.27 75.61

367-379

31/01/1992

165742

Pentactella serrata

SC46(124)

-51.72 76.33

228

25/06/2007

165746

Pentactella serrata

SC46Q25)

-51.69 76.19

234

25/06/2007

165749

Pseudostichopus peripatus

SC46(478)

-50.59 75.91

799

30/07/2007

165751

Pseudostichopus peripatus

SC46Q13)

-51.81 76.80

297

24/06/2007

165740

Pseudostichopus peripatus

SC50(050)

-52.71 74.92

558

04/06/2008

165739

Pseudostichopus spiculiferus

SC46Q26)

-51.70 76.41

279

25/06/2007

66849

Psolidium poriferum

AA92 13

-52.71 74.46

185-204

26/01/1992

66850

Psolidium poriferum

AA92 09

-52.53 73.16

229

25/01/1992

165743

Psolidium poriferum

SC46Q24)

-51.72 76.33

228

25/06/2007

168624

Psolus antarcticus

SC50(010)

-51.31 71.77

273

31/05/2008

165741

Psolus antarcticus

SC50(010)

-51.31 71.77

273

31/05/2008

66733

Psolus ephippifer

AA92 13

-52.71 74.46

185-204

26/01/1992

84987

Psolus ephippifer

HRD93 71 S

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

67099

Psolus ephippifer

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

84988

Psolus ephippifer

HRD93 54 B

-52.49 74.85

244-248

19/09/1993

84989

Psolus ephippifer

HRD 006

-53.00 73.38

03/10/1985

67100

Psolus ephippifer

AA92 48

-52.42 72.11

226-231

06/02/1992

165747

Psolus ephippifer

SC50(010)

-51.31 71.77

273

31/05/2008

84986

Psolus heardi sp. nov.

HRD93 71 ‘S’

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

198493

Psolus heardi sp. nov.

HRD93 71 ‘S’

-50.72 75.07

514-528

28/09/1993

84991

Psolus paradubiosus

HRD93 21 B

-51.29 75.43

337-541

08/09/1993

84990

Psolus paradubiosus

HRD93 68 BA

-51.68 76.50

214-220

24/09/1993

110513

Sigmodota contorta

AA92 29

-51.64 76.03

235-250

30/01/1992

85031

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 01

-52.94 73.36

159-176

23/01/1992

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Reg No

NMVF

Species

Station

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

85023

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 42

-51.35 71.78

297-301

03/02/1992

85029

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 43

-51.30 71.93

252-248

05/02/1992

85028

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 41

-51.29 71.98

250-252

03/02/1992

85025

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 48 B

-52.24 74.34

254

18/09/1993

85020

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 17 B

-51.59 75.92

243-260

07/09/1993

85019

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 64 B

-51.38 75.82

250-260

23/09/1993

85021

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 68 B

-51.70 76.52

217-228

24/09/1993

85034

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

85026

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

85032

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

85018

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 21 B

-51.29 75.43

337-541

08/09/1993

85022

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 69 B

-51.67 76.36

218

24/09/1993

85024

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD 006

-53.00 73.38

03/10/1985

85030

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 02

-53.00 73.72

108-115

23/01/1992

84996

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD 008

-53.20 73.10

200

04/10/1985

85016

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 51 B

-52.85 74.14

173

18/09/1993

85015

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 50 B

-52.75 74.14

189

18/09/1993

85033

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 18 B

-51.55 76.07

191-231

07/09/1993

85017

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD93 56 B

-52.52 74.89

279

19/09/1993

85027

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 05

-52.92 74.14

149-172

24/01/1992

135032

Staurocucumis liouvillei

HRD 008

-53.20 73.10

200

04/10/1985

165744

Staurocucumis liouvillei

SC46Q25)

-51.69 76.19

234

25/06/2007

165748

Staurocucumis liouvillei

SC46Q25)

-51.69 76.19

234

25/06/2007

110518

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 08

-52.68 72.94

215-228

25/01/1992

110519

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 19

-52.74 75.10

391-421

28/01/1992

110514

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 09

-52.53 73.16

229

25/01/1992

110517

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA92 50

-52.46 72.42

449-457

08/02/1992

110515

Staurocucumis liouvillei

AA90 40

-51.15 74.36

-420-429

06/06/1990

84993

Trachythyone lechleri

AA92 01

-52.94 73.36

159-176

23/01/1992

84992

Trachythyone lechleri

AA92 06

-53.21 73.68

120-132

24/01/1992

84995

Trachythyone lechleri

HRD 006

-53.00 73.38

03/10/1985

84994

Trachythyone lechleri

AA92 09

-52.53 73.16

229

25/01/1992

165745

Trachythyone muricata

SC46Q27)

-51.63 75.81

362

25/06/2007

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Table 4. Holothuroidea specimens from HIMI held in SAMA.

Reg. No.

SAMAK

Species

Station

AA90

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

1990

2307

Pseudostichopus peripatus

-52.56 72.3

655-800

11/6

2308

Pseudostichopus peripatus

-52.41 71.81

275

1/6

2309

Pseudostichopus peripatus

-52 71.33

290

30/5

2310

Pseudostichopus peripatus

-51.81 76.2

275

4/6

2311

Pseudostichopus peripatus

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2312

Pentactella laevigata

-51.16 72.98

270

7/6

2313

Pentactella laevigata

-51.88 71.31

300

29/5

2314

Pentactella laevigata

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2315

Pentactella laevigata

-51.21 74.68

270

7/6

2316

Pentactella laevigata

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2317

Pentactella laevigata

-53.2 73.73

130

19/6

2318

Pentactella laevigata

-51.71 76.53

230

24/5

2319

Pentactella laevigata

-51.88 71.31

300

29/5

2320

Pentactella laevigata

-51.88 71.31

300

29/5

2321

Pentactella laevigata

-53 73.7

18/6

2322

Pentactella laevigata

-52.68 73

210

20/6

2323

Pentactella laevigata

-52.41 71.81

320

31/5

2324

Pentactella laevigata

-52.91 74.23

165

2/6

2326

Pentactella laevigata

-51.28 72.03

260

7/6

2327

Pentactella laevigata

-53.15 73.18

175

20/6

2328

Pentactella laevigata

-52.91 74.08

200

19/6

2329

Pentactella laevigata

-51.28 73.01

280

8/6

2330

Pentactella laevigata

-52.91 74.08

200

19/6

2331

Pentactella laevigata

-52.71 75.13

380

23/5

2332

Pentactella laevigata

-52.2 72.66

430

10/6

2333

Pentactella laevigata

-52.91 74.08

200

19/6

2334

Pentactella laevigata

-51.26 75.63

285

25/5

2335

Pentactella laevigata

-52.7 74.53

200

2/6

2336

Pentactella laevigata

-52.58 74.75

300

2/6

2337

Pentactella laevigata

-52.56 72.18

260-380

11/6

2338

Pentactella laevigata

-52.05 74.16

280

14/6

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Reg. No.

SAMAK

Species

Station

AA90

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

1990

2305

Pentactella intermedia

-53 73.7

18/6

2304

Neopsolidium kerguelensis

-53 73.7

18/6

2287

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.63 76.05

250

4/6

2288

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.71 76.53

230

24/5

2289

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-53.2 73.73

130

19/6

2290

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.55 76.05

240

24/5

2291

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-52 71.33

290

30/5

2292

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.56 75.88

270

4/6

2293

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.38 75.81

260

25/5

2294

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.88 71.31

300

29/5

2295

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.16 72.98

270

7/6

2296

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.28 73.01

280

8/6

2297

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.21 74.68

270

7/6

2298

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2299

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.3 74.05

420

8/6

2300

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.15 74.33

450

6/6

2301

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-51.35 71.86

290

29/5

2302

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-53.15 73.18

175

20/6

2325

Staurocucumis liouvillei

-52.71 75.13

380

23/5

2303

Trachythyone muricata

-51.83 73.38

470

9/6

2189

Psolidium poriferum

-52.91 74.08

200

19/6

2190

Psolidium poriferum

-52.56 72.18

260-380

11/6

2191

Psolidium poriferum

-51.28 72.03

260

7/6

2205

Psolidium poriferum

-52.56 72.3

720

11/6

2192

Psolus ephippifer

-53.2 73.73

130

19/6

2193

Psolus ephippifer

-51.28 73.01

280

8/6

2194

Psolus ephippifer

-51.16 72.98

270

7/6

2195

Psolus ephippifer

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2200

Psolus ephippifer

-53.15 73.18

175

20/6

2196

Psolus paradubiosus

-51.81 76.2

275

4/6

2197

Psolus paradubiosus

-52.8 72.43

230

1/6

2198

Psolus paradubiosus

-51.28 72.03

260

7/6

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Reg. No.

SAMAK

Species

Station

AA90

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date collected

1990

2199

Psolus paradubiosus

-51.38 75.81

260

25/5

2201

Psolus paradubiosus

-52.43 72.15

235

11/6

2202

Psolus paradubiosus

-53.2 73.73

130

19/6

2203

Psolus paradubiosus

-52.41 71.81

275

31/5

2204

Psolus paradubiosus

-51.71 76.53

230

24/5

2206

Psolus paradubiosus

-53.15 73.18

175

20/6

2207

Psolus paradubiosus

-52.56 72.18

260-380

11/6

2306

Molpadia violacea

-53.2 73.73

130

19/6

Table 5. Holothuroidea specimens from HIMI held in TMAG.

Reg. No.

TMAG

Species

Station

SC26

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date

2003

H3239

Synallactes species

267

-51.82 76.02

472

10/5/2003

H3291

Synallactes species

267

-51.82 76.02

472

10/5/2003

H3289

Pseudostichopus peripatus

275

-51.76 76.44

268

10/5/2003

H3430

Pseudostichopus peripatus

201

-52.07 71.50

297

2/3/2003

H3290

Pseudostichopus spiculiferus

275

-51.76 76.44

268

10/5/2003

H3538

Pseudostichopus spiculiferus

255

-51.83 76.90

290

9/5/2003

H3303

Psolidium poriferum

173

-52.35 72.74

264

30/4/2003

H3304

Psolidium poriferum

178

-52.42 71.88

263

1/5/2003

H3305

Psolidium poriferum

111

-52.37 71.98

222

1/5/2003

H3306

Psolidium poriferum

161

-52.39 72.62

302

30/4/2003

H3307

Psolidium poriferum

179

-52.48 71.75

275

1/5/2003

H3308

Psolidium poriferum

174

-52.33 72.68

284

30/4/2003

H3309

Psolidium poriferum

196

-52.57 72.04

292

2/5/2003

H3310

Psolidium poriferum

201

-52.07 71.50

297

2/5/2003

H3311

Psolidium poriferum

216

-51.94 71.29

293

4/5/2003

H3312

Psolidium poriferum

256

-51.77 76.69

259

9/5/2003

H3313

Psolidium poriferum

198

-52.54 72.11

247

2/5/2003

H3314

Psolidium poriferum

191

-52.41 72.05

238

2/5/2003

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Reg. No.

TMAG

Species

Station

SC26

Lat. Long.

Depth

Date

2003

H3315

Psolidium poriferum

192

-52.37 71.98

222

2/5/2003

H3316

Psolidium poriferum

277

-51.81 76.47

329

10/5/2003

H3317

Psolidium poriferum

158

-52.30 72.69

406

29/4/2003

H3318

Psolidium poriferum

184

-52.53 72.10

247

1/5/2003

H3319

Psolidium poriferum

184

-52.53 72.10

247

1/5/2003

H3320

Psolidium poriferum

153

-52.50 72.88

284

24/4/2003

H3321

Psolidium poriferum

176

-52.41 72.05

237

1/5/2003

H3322

Psolidium poriferum

194

-52.48 71.75

275

2/3/2003

H3431

Echinocucumis ampla sp. nov.

264

-51.87 75.78

779

9/5/2003

H3432

Trachythyone muricata

152

-52.49 72.88

283

29/4/2003

H3433

Molpadia violacea

263

-51.80 75.50

628

9/5/2003

H3540

Molpadia violacea

179

-52.48 71.75

275

1/5/2003

H3541

Molpadia violacea

267

-51.82 76.02

472

10/5/2003

H3434

Paracaudina championi sp. nov.

165

-52.34 72.50

462

30/4/2003

H3539

Paracaudina championi sp. nov.

162

-52.44 72.67

287

30/4/2003

H3436

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

156

-52.34 72.75

274

29/4/2003

H3544

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

251

-51.77 76.70

252

8/5/2003

H3545

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

178

-52.42 71.87

263

1/5/2003

H3548

Calcamariina moorea sp. nov.

189

-52.38 72.08

230

2/5/2003

H3437

Paradota weddellensis

176

-52.41 72.05

237

30/4/2003

H3438

Heterocucumis godeffroyi

193

-52.42 71.87

264

2/5/2003

H3439

Psolus ephippifer

179

-52.48 71.75

275

1/5/2003

H3440

Pentactella laevigata

191

-52.41 72.05

238

2/5/2003

H3441

Psolus paradubiosus

191

-52.41 72.05

238

2/5/2003

H3442

Staurocucumis liouvillei

194

-52.48 71.75

275

2/5/2003

H3542

Calcamariina hibberdi sp. nov.

184

-52.53 72.10

247

1/5/2003

H3543

Calcamariina hibberdi sp. nov.

253

-50.91 77.11

341

8/5/2003

H3547

Neopsolidium kerguelensis

203

-52.05 71.40

-290

2/5/2003

Remarks. Table 5 of specimen lots held in TMAG lists specimens from cruise SC26 only, but does not list all specimens taken

during SC26 and some from cruises SC46 and SC50. Most specimens from cruises SC46 and SC50 are held in the AAD and are

not currently accessible for species identity confirmation and listing here.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Table 6. Kerguelen Islands and HIMI holothuroid species distributed beyond the Kerguelen Plateau.

Kerguelen Plateau

Antarctica

Macquarie Island

Magellanic

Bouvetoya

Pseudostichopus peripatus

Pseudostichopus

peripatus

Pseudostichopus

spiculiferus

Pseudostichopus

spiculiferus

1 Zygothuria lactea

Zygothuria lactea

2 Clarkiella deichmannae

Echinocucumis ampla

Heterocucumis godeffroyi

Heterocucumis

godeffroyi

Calcamariina hibberdi

Calcamariina moorea

Pentactella intermedia

Pentactella laevigata

Pentactella serrata

Neopsolidium kerguelensis

Pseudopsolus gruai

Psolidium poriferum

3 Psolus antarcticus

Psolus antarcticus

Psolus ephippifer

4 Psolus paradubiosus

Psolus heardi

Staurocucumis liouvillei

Trachythyone lechleri

Trachythyone muricata

Paracaudina championi

Molpadia violacea

Sigmodota contorta

Paradota weddellensis

Notes for Table 6:

1 Gebruk et al. (2012) reported a cosmopolitan distribution for Zygothuria lactea and a bathymetric range of 694 to 5278 m. There

are no specific reports of its occurrence at Bouvetoya Island or Macquarie Island.

2 A single BANZARE specimen collected from off NE Tasmania was considered by O’Loughlin (2009) to be conspecific.

3 COl sequences indicate a species complex (see O’Loughlin et al. 2010).

4 Six very small CEAMARC psolid specimens from off Terra Adelie were identified as Psolus paradubiosus by Mark O’Loughlin

and Niki Davey in Paris in 2010 (MNHN catalogue number 2008-5315). We are not confident here of their identification of this

sole record of the species from the Antarctic coast.

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 2. Calcamariina hibberdi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. holotype photos (NMV F165750). a, left lateral view of holotype with

oral end left (insert with drawing of radial (left) and inter-radial plates of the calcareous ring); b, dorsal view of holotype with oral end left; c,

ventral view of holotype with oral end left; d, close-up view of some ventral tube feet surmounting calcareous papillae.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 3. Ossicles from the holotype and a paratype of Calcamariina hibberdi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (holotype NMV F165750,

paratype TMAG H3542). a, SEM images of variably knobbed and thickened plate fragments from the ventral body wall and papillae, with some

marginal spines (from holotype); b, microscope photos of large body wall plate with smooth perforated base and knobbed projecting distal end

that has lost its distal spinous edge (top, from holotype; scale bar refers to this ossicle only), and two tube foot/papilla support plates with

projecting outer marginal spinous edge (bottom, from paratype; up to about 140 ja m long; scale bar does not refer to these ossicles), and; c, SEM

images of small perforated, concave plates (top), curved plates, rod and rod-plates from a tentacle (from holotype).

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 4. Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. holotype photos (TMAG H3436). a, left lateral view of holotype with oral

end left; b, close-up view of some lateral tube feet surmounting calcareous papillae.

Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:69F0EDED-FC18-4B0E-

8E48-203D73B6831D

Tables 1-3, 5, 6; figures 1, 4-6.

Cucumaria sp. nov. (HOL 14). Hibberd & Moore, 2009: 119, 146.

Cucumaria kerguelensis (HOL 19). Hibberd & Moore, 2009: 119.

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau,

N of Heard Island, Western Plateau, AAD Southern Champion cruise

26 haul 156, beam trawl, -52.34 72.75, 274 m, 29 Apr 2003, TMAG

H3436 (AAD species code: HOLO 14).

Paratypes (AAD species code: HOLO 14). HIMI, S Shell Bank ,

SC26(251), 252 m, 8 May 2003, TMAG H3544 (1); Aurora Bank ,

SC26(178), 263 m, 1 May 2003, TMAG H3545 (1); Aurora Bank ,

SC26(189), 230 m, 2 May 2003, TMAG H3548 (2); Shell Bank ,

AA92(28), 230-247 m, 30 Jan 1992, NMV F85002 (1); North-east

Plateau, HRD93(71S), 514-528 m, 28 Sep 1993, NMV F85003 (1);

Heard I., HRD006, 60 m, 3 Oct 1985, NMV F85004 (1).

Description. Body fusiform, up to 29 mm long, curved semi-

U-shaped body 16 mm wide/across in lateral view, mid-body

diameter 6 mm (holotype TMAG H3436), slightly up-turned

rounded oral end, up-turned tapered tail; body dark grey-

brown (holotype) to off-white (smaller types), hard,

calcareous, covered with low rounded calcareous papillae

each with apical terminal tube foot (most evident in larger

holotype), tube feet more numerous ventrally than dorsally.

Smallest specimens with poorly defined, narrow, ventral,

mid-body inter-radii lacking papillae. Lacking anal papillae

or scales. Tentacles dendritic, 8 large, 2 ventral small.

Calcareous ring cucumariid-like, plates with high anterior

radial and inter-radial prolongations, lacking posterior

prolongations. Single polian vesicle. Two tufts of un-branched

gonad tubules.

Ossicles of body wall and bases of papillae thick rod-

plates, fewer narrow, elongate plates, irregular, perforated

(frequently with two large parallel and two smaller distal

perforations in cross formation centrally), elongate, single¬

layered, variably with surface and marginal knobs, never

marginal spines, rod-plates and plates up to about 350 pm

long. Tube feet with endplates and support rod-plates; endplate

diameters variable, up to about 240 pm\ tube foot wall

supported by rod-plates, elongate, curved, variable form but

typically with two large transverse central perforations and

few distal small perforations, plate margin projecting from

body wall sometimes with blunt denticulations, rod-plates up

to about 220 pm long.

Distribution. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau, Aurora

and Shell Banks , North-east Plateau, Western Plateau , Heard

I., 60-528 m.

Etymology. Named for Kirrily Moore, Collection Manager for

Invertebrate Zoology in TMAG, with recognition of her initial

sorting and curation and establishment of a voucher reference

collection for the HIMI holothuroids, and with our appreciation

of her generous collaboration with loan material and data

relevant to our work.

Remarks. Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-

Lopez sp. nov. is distinguished from Calcamariina hibberdi

O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. by the predominance

of body wall rod-plates, with paired large central perforations

and knobbed only part-margins. In contrast C. hibberdi has

a predominance of body wall irregular plates that lack large

central paired perforations and have part-margin spinous

edges.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 5. Microscope photos of ossicles from the holotype and a paratype of Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

(holotype TMAG H3436, paratype TMAG H3548). a, endplate, papilla support rods and rod-plates, body wall plate (from holotype); b, tube foot

support plates and body wall rod-plates (from paratype).

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 6. Microscope photos of ossicles from a specimen of Neopsolidium kerguelensis (Theel, 1886) (NMV F84997). a, multi-layered ossicle

from the body wall; b, cross (bottom right) and cups from the body wall.

We judge that in Hibberd & Moore (2009, page 119) the

photo of Cucumaria sp. nov. (HOL 14) is a photo of

Calcamariina moorea O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp.

nov. And we judge that the photo of Cucumaria kerguelensis

(HOL 19) on the same page is also a photo of C. moorea.

TMAG types have been confirmed by direct observation of

TMAG loan material. All were taken by Southern Champion

cruise 26 and are registered in TMAG. There are probably

more specimens of this new species held but not registered

and not accessible in the AAD in Kingston.

As noted above for Calcamaria hibberdi O’Loughlin &

Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. the superficially similar species

Neopsolidium kerguelensis (Theel, 1886) that also occurs on

the Kerguelen Plateau is distinguished from the Calcamariina

species by the former having narrow bare ventral inter-radii,

and cups and multi-layered ossicles in the body wall

(illustrated here in Figure 6).

Echinocucumis Sars, 1859

Type species (type locality; diagnostic characters). Echinocucumis

hispida (Barrett, 1857) (Norway; sub-spherical body with vertically

up-turned oral and anal ends, body 10 mm wide (width of U-shape),

ventral tube feet prominent, dorsal tube feet inconspicuous, plates

with single composite marginal spine).

Other assigned species (type localities; diagnostic characters).

Echinocucumis globosa (Ohshima, 1915) (Kyushu; body spherical, 9.5

mm long, dorsal and ventral tube feet, ossicle spines reduced or absent);

E. hispida var. atypica Deichmann, 1930 (Havana; spines sometimes

central on plates, spines more slender and tall than E. hispida ); E.

kirrilyae O’Loughlin, 2009 (E Antarctica, Enderby Land; body fusiform,

6 mm long, tube feet ventral only, composite spines dendritic); E.

multipodia Cherbonnier, 1965 (Cameroon; spherical body, 7 mm long,

tube feet around body, scales lack spines); E. paratypica Ludwig &

Heding, 1935 (Somalia; U-shaped body, 8.5 mm long, long tapered up¬

turned oral and anal ends); E. sphaericum (Sluiter, 1901) (E Indonesia;

U-shaped body, 18 mm long, abundant ventral tube feet, numbers of

composite spines per scale); E. tenera Cherbonnier, 1958 (Sierra Leone;

U-shaped body, 25 mm long, dorsal and ventral tube feet).

Diagnosis. Mid-body sub-spherical, tapered non-retractile oral

and anal ends, usually upturned; calcareous ring cucumariid-

like, lacking posterior prolongations; tentacles 10, digitiform,

unequal in size; tube feet sparse or absent, slender, restricted to

ambulacra; body invested with large imbricating scales that are

single-layered perforated plates, each scale with predominantly

one tall spine arising near plate margin.

Remarks. Echinocucumis Sars, 1859 has been assigned to the

Ypsilothuriidae Heding, 1942 in the order Dactylochirotida

Pawson & Fell, 1965. Smirnov (2012) abolished the

Dactylochirotida and referred all the included taxa to the

Dendrochirotida. Smirnov (2012) assigned the ypsilothuriid

genus Echinocucumis to the subfamily Cucumariinae Ludwig,

1894 (sensu Panning 1949) within the family Cucumariidae

Ludwig, 1894. He based his decision on the work of Hansen

(1988) who judged that Echinocucumis is similar to

Staurocucumis Ekman, 1927 and Psolicucumis Heding, 1934.

These two latter genera are assigned to the Cucumariinae. We

accept the judgment of Smirnov (2012) based on morphology

but anticipate that molecular phylogenetic evidence will

challenge many such current assignments.

Echinocucumis ampla O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:7147741A-lBFE-48DC-

A351-FBF5A53B8539

Tables 1, 2, 5, 6; figures 1, 7, 8.

Dactylochirotida sp. nov. (HOL 10).—Hibberd & Moore, 2009:

119, 146.

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau,

NE Heard Island, North-east Plateau, AAD Southern Champion

cruise 46 haul 479, beam trawl, -50.68 74.62, 708 m, 30 Jul 2007,

NMV FI65735 (AAD species code: HOLO 10)

Paratypes. Holotype locality and date, NMV F198492 (2) (UF

tissues sequence codes MOL AF663, 664, 665); HIMI, southern Shell

Bank, SC26(264), -51.87 75.78, 779 m, 9 May 2003, TMAG H3431.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Other material (AAD species code: HOL 10). HIMI, southern

Shell Bank, SC26(263), -51.80 75.50, 628 m, AAD; SC46(115), -51.81

75.98, 557 m, AAD; North-east Plateau, SC46(471), -50.38 74.54, 970

m, AAD; Pike Bank, SC50(016), -51.45 71.84, 756 m, AAD.

Description. Preserved body up to about 65 mm long lateral

width (tentacles withdrawn), up to 30 mm high mid-body,

tapered anteriorly to partly up-turned rounded oral end,

prominent belly mid-body, tapered posteriorly into long up¬

turned tail; body wall off-white to pale brown, thin, brittle,

parchment-like, completely covered with a test of imbricating

spined scales, spines more dense ventrally than dorsally. Five

inconspicuous anal scales, thick columnar, comprising thick

mesh of branched rods, anal scales about 700 pm long. Five

elongate, thin anal papillae, walls supported by rod ossicles,

papillae up to about 600 pm long. Calcareous ring cucumariid-

like, ring narrow, prominent anterior mid-plate radial and inter-

radial prolongations, lacking posterior prolongations. Tentacles

10, digitiform, flexible, irregularly long and short. Tube feet

absent from the body. Longitudinal muscles cylindrical, thin.

Multiple-branching thin gonad tubules.

Body wall ossicles imbricating spined plates; plates

irregularly oval in form, single-layered, thick, perforated,

perforations predominantly relatively small and spaced, up to

about 16 perforations across the diameter, plates up to 1.2 mm

long ventrally, slightly smaller dorsally; spines variably near

margin of plate to near center, long to short, thick to thin, pillars

comprising dendritic branching rods, predominantly one spine

per scale, rarely a cluster of up to three, spines rounded and

rugose distally with short blunt spinelets; spines dorsally up to

720 pm high (fine spinous distal point frequently lost), up to 200

pm diameter mid-height; spines ventrally more coarse, more

than 680 pm high (with fine spinous distal point lost), up to 280

pm diameter mid-height. Distal tail with large thick plates, not

multilayered, not closely perforated, small spaced perforations

variably present around margin, large central perforation, plates

up to 600 pm diameter. Tentacles supported by close,

transversely aligned, curved rods; rods irregular in form,

variably perforated distally, variably bluntly spinous to short

digiform projections laterally, rods up to 300 pm long.

Figure 7. Echinocucumis ampla O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. holotype photos (NMV F165735). a, left lateral view of holotype with

oral end left (insert with drawing of radial (right) and inter-radial plates of the calcareous ring); b, imbricating spined plates of the body wall.

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 8. SEM images of ossicles from a paratype of Echinocucumis ampla O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (NMV F198492). a, spined

plate from the mid-dorsal body wall; b, spined plates and spines from the mid-ventral body wall; c, part-perforate plate fragments from the peri¬

anal body wall; d, rods from a tentacle.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Distribution. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau, N of

Heard Island on North-east Plateau, Pike Bank, southern Shell

Bank, 557-970 m.

Etymology. Named from the Latin ampla (feminine), meaning

large, to indicate the relatively large size of this species.

Remarks. Type specimens were donated to NMV by the AAD.

Initial preservation was by freezing, with subsequent transfer

to 70% ethanol. In spite of a close examination no tube feet

were detected. But in a body wall ossicle sample some small

curved thin rods (up to 80 pm across) were found that were

probably residual tube foot support rods. And we note the

perforation in the upper left scale in Figure 8b that might be a

perforation for a tube foot. Echinocucumis ampla O’Loughlin

& Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. is distinguished from all other

species of Echinocucumis by the combination of: large size;

absence of a distinctly tapered up-turned oral end; tube feet not

detected; spines variably marginal to central on plates; spines

comprising composite, columnar, branched rods. Pawson

(1964) referred two specimens from New Zealand to

Echinocucumis hispida (Barrett, 1857), with some reservations.

The larger has a greater curvature length of only 50 mm,

distinctly upturned oral and anal ends, single spines arising

from the margin only of the scales, and tube feet present. Based

on some differences in morphology, and the fact that very few

HIMI species have been found north of the Antarctic

Convergence, we judge that the New Zealand species is not E.

ampla. The TMAG paratype has been confirmed by direct

observation of TMAG loan material. “Other material” refers to

lots that were identified in the AAD by comparison with

voucher specimens that were identified by Mark O’Loughlin.

These lots are held (unregistered) in the AAD and the

determinations not confirmed by Mark O’Loughlin.

Pentactella Verrill, 1876

Pentactella Verrill, 1876a: 68, 69.

Laevocnus O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin et at., 2014): 46.

Type species. Pentactella laevigata Verrill, 1876a, b (type locality

Kerguelen Islands; initially monotypic).

Assigned species and occurrences. Pentactella cornuta

(Cherbonnier, 1941) (Patagonia); P. intermedia (Theel, 1886) (HIMI

and Kerguelen Is); P. katrinae (O’Loughlin in O’Loughlin et al.,

2014) (Antarctica, Shag Rock); P. laevigata (Verrill, 1876a, b) (HIMI,

Kerguelen Is, Macquarie I.)); P. leachmani (Davey & O’Loughlin in

O’Loughlin et al., 2014) (Ross Sea); P. leoninoides (Mortensen,

1925) (New Zealand sub-antarctic islands); P. leonina (Semper,

1867) (Falkland Is); L. marionensis (Theel, 1886) (Marion I.); P.

perrieri (Ekman, 1927) (Falkland Is, South Georgia); P. serrata

(Theel, 1886) (HIMI).

Diagnosis (sensu stricto; based on 14 specimens in HIMI lot

NMV F85005 ). Cucumariinid species; body wall thin, firm, not

calcareous; body fusiform with posterior rounded taper but not

tail; preserved, relaxed body up to 43 mm long (excluding

tentacles); 10 equal dendritic tentacles; tube feet on radii only,

radial series cross introvert, radial series on relaxed specimens

single, slightly zig-zag, spaced, slightly more numerous on three

ventral radii; lacking external or internal anal scales; lacking

calcareous ring in all specimen sizes; three long, thin polian

vesicles; lacking genital papilla, gonad tubules not branched;

two, laterally paired, mid-body, mid-ventral, coelomic brood

sacs, with external transverse slit openings, sacs and opening

sometimes present; brood juveniles with distinct tentacle crowns

may be present in brood sacs, brood juveniles up to 3 mm long.

Preserved colour off-white to pale fawn.

Body wall ossicles abundant, oval to elongate, single-layered,

perforated plates, typically two large lateral central perforations,

typically knobbed centrally, one end of plate tapered and distally

spinous, opposite end not tapered, not spinous, plates up to

typically 130 pm long; lacking knobbed buttons that do not have

any spinous margin. Tube feet with endplates, diameters up to

320 pm, tube foot support ossicles curved perfortated plates with

outer edge spinous, plate lengths up to 140 pm. Tentacle ossicles

thick, perforated plates, irregularly oval to elongate, plates up to

260 pm long; thin, irregular, convex, perforated plates, up to 100

pm across; distally perforate, bent rods, up to 120 pm long;

lacking rosettes.

Remarks. Panning (1949) considered Pentactella Verrill, 1876 to

be a junior synonym of Stereoderma Ayres, 1851. Pawson (1964)

followed Panning (1949), reporting Stereoderma laevigata

(Verrill, 1876). Subsequently Panning (1962) referred this

species to Pseudocnus Panning, 1949. Pawson (1968) followed

Panning (1962), reporting Pseudocnus laevigatus (Verrill, 1867).

In describing the new genus Laevocnus O’Loughlin (in

O’Loughlin et al. 2014) the authors failed to notice that their

type species for Laevocnus, Pentactella laevigata Verrill, 1876,

is also the type species for the monotypic Pentactella Verrill,

1876. Pentactella is here raised out of synonymy with

Stereoderma and Pseudocnus, and Laevocnus is an objective

synonym of Pentactella.

We recognize variations in morphological form amongst the

species assigned to Pentactella. These variations have been

included in the diagnosis for Laevocnus (= Pentactella ) in

O’Loughlin et al. 2014. The problem of a diagnosis for

Pentactella is compounded by our recognition of the consistent

presence of some knobbed buttons that lack a spinous end in

specimens of Pentactella intermedia (Theel, 1886). Based on

some supportive genetic data P. intermedia remains assigned to

Pentactella. There are to date inadequate genetic data to know

what morphological characters are reliable for generic diagnosis.

We have thus provided above a sensu stricto diagnosis for

Pentactella that is based on one lot of 14 specimens from the

southern Kerguelen Plateau (NMV F85005).

The status of type material for Pentactella laevigata Verrill

1876 is uncertain. USNM holds a single specimen with a label:

“Type, Pentactella laevigata Kidder, Cat. No. 3148, Locality

Kerguelen Is, Coll, by Transit of Venus Expedition, Date Dec.

1876, Id. by Verrill”. Obviously Verrill was the taxa author, and

not the collector Dr. J. H. Kidder. Verrill (1876) gave a collection

date as January 1875. This accords with the date of the US

Transit of Venus Expedition during 1874-1875. The label date

(Dec. 1876) may refer to the date of description by Verrill.

Pawson (1968) noted “this may be the only extant specimen of

the original type series”. Verrill provided measurements for only

one specimen, and did not indicate more than one type specimen.

Pawson (1968) reported on the USNM specimen as a “Co-Type”

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

(USNM Cat. No. 3148). He judged that this specimen generally

matched the description by Verrill (1876). But Pawson noted two

anomalies: the presence of a calcareous ring, while Verrill

explicitly stated that such plates were absent; and the presence of

ventral brood pouches that Verrill did not describe. Our sensu

stricto diagnosis above matches the descriptions by Verrill

(1876) and Pawson (1968), except that we have never observed

calcareous ring plates for this species. The presence of ventral

brood pouches is rare. Only two specimens of the lot of 14 that

we examined have brood pouches.

O’Loughlin (2009) discussed in detail Pseudocnus

intermedia (Theel, 1886), Pseudocnus laevigatus (Verrill, 1876)

and Pseudocnus marionensis (Theel, 1886), the three species

subsequently referred to Laevocnus O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin

et al. 2014) (= Pentactella Verrill, 1876).

O’Loughlin (2009) noted some misleading captions in Theel

(1886), that referred to figures of Cladodactyla crocea (Lesson,

1830) and Cucumaria laevigata (Verrill, 1876). This error

misled Massin (1992) who reported Cladodactyla crocea

croceoides (Vaney, 1908) from Marion Island, with Cucumaria

laevigata as a junior synonym. This variety was referred to the

synonymy of Cladodactyla crocea in O’Loughlin et al. 2014.

Amongst the many holothuroid specimens collected from the

Kerguelen Plateau no specimen of Cladodactyla crocea has

been found.

Family Psolidae Burmeister, 1837

Diagnosis. Dendrochirotid species with dorsal and lateral

surfaces covered by imbricating scales; ventral sole thin-walled

and soft with peripheral tube feet, sometimes also in mid-

ventral radial series.

Psolus Oken, 1815

Diagnosis (from Mackenzie & Whitfield 2011). Psolidae with

large imbricating or contiguous dorsal and lateral scales;

ventrolateral scales at margin clearly demarcated from thin

sole that lacks conspicuous scales. Tube feet absent dorsally

and laterally, sometimes present orally and anally. Ten dendritic

tentacles, eight large and two small ventrally.

Remarks. We note again, for reasons stated in the Introduction,

that Psolus Oken, 1815 is used provisionally.

Psolus heardi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:FFlFB240-6E7D-44BA-

9AF3-B1FADA9EE993

Psolus sp. nov. (HOL 23).—Hibberd & Moore, 2009: 120,

Tables 1-3, 6; figures 1, 9, 10.

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau,

NE Heard Island, NW of Shell Bank, ANARE Aurora Australis, HRD

93, stn. 71-S, epibenthic sled, -50.72 75.07, 514-528 m, coll. T.

Stranks, 28 Sep 1993, NMV F84986.

Paratypes. Holotype locality and date, NMV FI98493 (7).

Other material (AAD species code: HOL 23). Southern Shell

Bank, AAD Southern Champion cruise 46 haul 111, beam trawl, -51.81

76.31, 247 m, AAD; southern Shell Bank, SC 46(114), -51.81 76.06,410

m, AAD; southern Shell Bank, SC 46(115), -51.81 75.98, 557 m, AAD.

Description. Preserved body up to 12 mm long (excluding

tentacles), body up to 5 mm high, body flat ventrally, domed

dorsally, lacking oral and anal cones, mouth with anterior

orientation, dorsal and lateral body with conspicuous

imbricating scales, lacking tube feet, ventro-lateral scales

projecting slightly over a soft sole. Discrete sole, lacking

scales, peripheral series of large tube feet, series not continuous

anteriorly, rare mid-ventral tube feet. Tentacles dendritic, 10,

ventral pair small. Calcareous ring solid, cucumariid-like,

digitiform anterior projection and deep posterior notch on

both radial and inter-radial plates, lacking posterior

prolongations. Longitudinal muscles narrow, flat. Gonad

comprises 2 tufts of sac-like tubules, one on each side of the

dorsal mesentery, hermaphrodite, coelomic bood-protecting.

Dorsal and lateral ossicles imbricating scales and cups;

scales irregularly oval, up to about 1 mm long, scales are

perforated plates with mesh-like secondary layering, finely

spinous dorsal surface layer; cups irregular, shallow to deep,

predominantly four perforations in cross form, sometimes

small corner perforations, cups variably knobbed or with

short digitiform projections, some incipiently bridged, cups

typically 140 pm long. Sole with irregular, marginally

knobbed, perforated, shallow, concave plates, up to about 8

perforations, up to about 360 pm long; plates inter-grade with

shallow cups, similar to dorsal cups, predominantly 4 large

perforations, sometimes smaller corner ones, margin

knobbed, some secondary knobs and developments, cups

about 140 pm long. Tentacle ossicles thick, perforated rods

and plates, irregular, curved, variably knobbed and digitate

margins, some surface knobs, plates and rods up to 320 pm

long; small thin curved plates, about 50 pm long; rare fine

irregular crosses, about 50 pm long; small rosette-like

ossicles, about 100 pm long.

Distribution. Southern Ocean, Kerguelen Plateau, NE Heard

Island, Shell Bank, 247-557 m,

Etymology. Named heardi with reference to Heard Island.

Remarks. We provisionally assign this new species to the

currently suppressed Psolus Oken, 1815, pending an appeal to

the ICZN (see Introduction). While Psolus heardi O’Loughlin

& Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. satisfies the general diagnostic

criteria for referral to Psolus, we are aware that emerging

phylogenetic data do not support the family Psolidae and

provide evidence that the genera Psolus Oken and Psolidium

Ludwig, 1887 are polyphyletic (Gustav Paulay pers. comm.).

Psolus heardi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. differs

from all other Psolus species by having a combination of:

coelomic brood-protecting habit; poorly defined ventro¬

lateral margin overlapping the sole; dorsal scales that are

single-layered with mesh-like secondary layering that has

fine dorsal surface spines; shallow, irregular, marginally

knobbed cups that are similar dorsally and in sole. “Other

material” refers to lots that were identified in the AAD by

comparison with voucher specimens that were identified by

Mark O’Loughlin. These lots are held (unregistered) in the

AAD and the determinations not confirmed by

Mark O’Loughlin.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 9. Psolus heardi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. photos (a-d of holotype NMV F84986; e of paratype NMV FI98493). a, lateral

view with oral end right, ventro-lateral scales slightly overhang sole (insert with drawing of radial (left) and inter-radial plates of the calcareous

ring); b, dorsal view with oral end left; c, ventral view, weakly delineated sole with peripheral tube feet; d, tentacles with two small ventral ones

(bottom); e, cluster of gonad tubules.

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 10. SEM images of ossicles from a paratype of Psolus heardi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (NMV F198493). a, dorsal mid-body

scales (left) and shallow cups (right); b, shallow cups from the sole; c, curved perforated rod and plates from a tentacle; d, tube foot half endplate

fragment (top right), perforated rods (left), and curved knobbed perforated plates (right lower two-thirds).

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Order Molpadida Haeckel, 1896

Diagnosis (from O’Loughlin etal. 2011). Tentacles 15, digitate;

body stout, lacking tube feet, usually with an evident tail; anal

papillae, tentacle ampullae and respiratory trees present;

ossicles may include tables, cups, rods, perforated plates and

modified anchors; phosphatic bodies often present.

Family Caudinidae Heding, 1931

Diagnosis (from O’Loughlin et al. 2011). Tentacles without a

terminal digit, and with one or two pairs of lateral digits; tail

sometimes inconspicuous; ossicles may include large tables,

crossed cups, perforated plates and irregular rods; phosphatic

bodies usually absent.

Paracaudina Heding, 1932

Remarks. O’Loughlin et al. (2011) provided a comprehensive

diagnosis of Paracaudina Heding, 1932, listed all assigned

species, and included a key to the Australian and New Zealand

species. In a subsequent paper Davey & O’Loughlin (2013)

discussed the caudinid species of New Zealand, described two

additional species of Paracaudina, and provided a key to the

New Zealand caudinid species.

Paracaudina championi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov.

Zoobank LSID. http://zoobank.org:act:86F7DB87-F210-4732-

9A77-2FC03915134B

Tables 1-3, 5, 6; figures 1, 11-13.

Molpadiidae sp. nov. (HOL 11).—Hibberd & Moore, 2009: 119,145.

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, S Kerguelen Plateau,

NE Heard Island, North-east Plateau, AAD Southern Champion

cruise 46 haul 479, beam trawl, -50.67 74.62, 708 m, 30 Jul 2007,

NMV F165736 (UF tissue sequence code MOL AF666) (AAD species

code: HOL 11).

Paratypes (AAD species code: HOL 11). HIMI, Western Plateau,

SC26(162), -52.44 72.67, 287 m, 30 Apr 2003, TMAG H3539 (3);

SC26(165), -52.34 72.50,462 m, 30 Apr 2003, TMAG H3434 (1).

Other material (AAD species code: HOL 11). Southern Shell

Bank, SC26(264), -51.87 75.78, 779 m, AAD; Shell Bank MR,

SC46(125), -51.69 76.19,234 m, AAD; North-east Plateau, SC46(473),

-50.48 74.60, 905 m, AAD; SC46(474), -50.46 74.79, 942 m, AAD.

Ligure 11. Paracaudina championi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. holotype photo of lateral view (oral end left) (insert with drawing of

radial (left) and inter-radial plates of the calcareous ring) (NMV L165736).

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 12. SEM images of ossicles from the holotype of Paracaudina championi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. (NMV F165736). a,

irregular knobbed cup-like ossicles from the mid-body wall, with cross base evident mid-left and bottom right; b, irregular knobbed cup-like

ossicles from the caudal body wall, with cross base evident upper middle and right.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 13. Microscope photos of table ossicles from the peri-anal body wall of paratypes of Paracaudina championi O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-

Lopez sp. nov. Two left tables from large specimen (TMAG H3434); single right table from small specimen (TMAG H3539).

Description. Preserved body up to 115 mm long (strongly

contracted), tapering posterior body and tail 40 mm long, mid¬

body up to 30 mm diameter; body wall thick, leathery, wrinkled

with transverse creases, pale brown to off-white to pale grey in

colour; body form cylindrical, slight taper to blunt oral end,

about one third of the body tapered to thin posterior tail (end of

tail missing in holotype), tail not discretely delineated. Lacking

anal scales or papillae. Tentacles 15, digitiform, lacking

terminal digit or digits. Calcareous ring solid, plates fused;

radial plates with two anterior projections, one with longitudinal

muscle attachment and small anterior notch, separated by a

bigger notch from the second lateral anterior projection, plates

with tapered posterior projection with small bifid notch

posteriorly; inter-radial plates with tapered anterior projection,

wide rounded posterior indentation. Tentacle ampullae variable

in length, up to twice the height of the ring in length. Single

polian vesicle, tubular, long. Longitudinal muscles broad, flat,

each divided along mid-line by narrow gap. Long, thin, un¬

branched gonad tubules.

Mid-body and caudal, but not peri-anal, ossicles are

similar; some but not most are fairly regular, thick, knobbed

cups with a basal distally-knobbed cross; most have no regular

form and are thick, knobbed, often three-dimensional, and

very irregular; ossicles predominantly up to 40 pm long. Peri¬

anal body wall with irregular knobbed cups and irregular

thick tables; knobbed cups as in mid-body wall; tables in

smaller specimens with predominantly 3-pillar spires, one

cross-bridge, few lateral blunt spines, 3 paired blunt spines

apically, spires on tables in larger specimens complex with

numerous distal blunt spines, spires up to about 170 pm high;

table discs indented centrally, raised marginally, irregular

angular margins, predominantly 6 central perforations, 2

outer circles of irregular perforations, discs up to about 180

pm across in small specimens, up to about 250 pm across in

large specimens.

Distribution. Southern Ocean, Kerguelen Plateau, N of Heard

Island on North-east Plateau, Shell Bank, Western Plateau,

234-942 m.

Etymology. Named championi for the fishing trawler Southern

Champion that was commissioned by the AAD to serve this

research expedition.

Remarks. The holotype was donated to NMV by the AAD.

Initial preservation was by freezing, with subsequent transfer

to 70% ethanol. The presence of peri-anal 3-pillared, large,

thick tables is a significant morphological addition to the

diagnostic characters of Paracaudina Heding, 1932 that was

provided by O’Loughlin et. al. (2011). Caudal ossicles in

Paracaudina specimens have been discussed and illustrated by

O’Loughlin et al. (2011). No tables were observed in the mid¬

body wall or caudal region. In reporting on the New Zealand

Caudinidae species, Davey & O’Loughlin (2013) discussed

Hedingia Deichmann, 1938, and the New Zealand occurrence

of Hedingia albicans (Theel, 1886). In H. albicans there are

abundant three-pillared tables with irregular discs in the caudal

region, and rarely in the mid-body wall. Hedingia species lack

thick, knobbed cup ossicles. The new caudinid species

described here has the characteristic paracaudinid thick,

knobbed cup ossicles throughout the body wall, but also has the

characteristic tables of Hedingia in the posterior caudal region.

We have provisionally assigned our new species to Paracaudina

and await the evidence of molecular phylogenetic data for

generic confirmation.

Apart from the significant diagnostic difference of

presence or absence of caudal tables, Paracaudina championi

O’Loughlin & Skarbnik-Lopez sp. nov. is similar to

Paracaudina alta Davey & O’Loughlin, 2013 with its very

irregular ossicle forms. But the thick, knobbed cup ossicles are

quite dissimilar to the more regular ossicles of all other species

of Paracaudina. The illustration of P. alta body form (Fig. IB)

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

in Davey & O’Loughlin (2013) indicates that most of the body

is cylindrical with a relatively short discrete tail, whereas for

Paracaudina championi about one third of the body exhibits a

long caudal taper. Body wall ossicles for P. alta are illustrated

by Davey & O’Loughlin (2013) and also by O’Loughlin et al.

(2011) for the earlier conspecific Paracaudina species. We

judge that amongst the very irregular ossicles of both species

a basal distally-knobbed cross is sometimes evident amongst

the ossicles of P. championi but not amongst those of P. alta.

Their respective occurrences north and south of the Antarctic

Convergence, and considerable geographical separation, also

discourage us from thinking that they are conspecific. We

await molecular phylogenetic data for insight into these

relationships of current Paracaudina species. TMAG

paratypes have been confirmed by direct observation of

TMAG loan material. “Other material” refers to lots that were

identified in the AAD by comparison with voucher specimens

that were identified by Mark O’Loughlin. These lots are held

(unregistered) in the AAD and the determinations not

confirmed by Mark O’Loughlin.

Family Molpadiidae Muller, 1850

Diagnosis (Pawson 1977). Tentacles claw shaped or with

terminal digits and few small lateral digits. Tentacle ampullae

long or reduced. Spicules derived from tri-radiate tables with

three-pillared spire. Tail with tables with round to oblong disc

or long fusiform rods. Phosphatic deposits often present.

Molpadia Cuvier, 1817

Diagnosis (Pawson 1977). Calcareous deposits include tables,

anchors, and rosettes of racquet-shaped plates and large

fusiform rods in various combinations. Tail deposits tables or

fusiform rods. Phosphatic deposits present or absent.

Type species. Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826 (type locality

Mediterranean Sea).

Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876

Tables 1-6; figures 1, 14, 15 e, f.

Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876: 464.—Pawson, 1963: 15, pi. 3,

figs 4-8.-1965: 12.

Trochostoma violaceum.— Theel, 1886: 42-43, pi. 2, fig. 4, pi. 11,

fig. 1.—Lampert, 1889: 842,-Ludwig, 1894: 157-158.-1898: 64.-

Perrier, 1905: 65-66.

Haplodactyla violacea— Heding, 1931: 280.

Eumolpadia violacea.— Heding, 1935: 42, text fig. 8, figs 7-10; pi.

5 fig. 10; pi. 7, fig. 3; pi. 8, fig.4.—Ludwig & Heding, 1935: 144-145,

text fig. 11.—Cherbonnier & Guille, 1975: 609.

Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826 (Antarctic).—O’Loughlin et al.,

2009: table l.-O’Loughlin et al., 2010: 269(6), tables 1, 2, 4, fig. 2

(non Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826).

Molpadia musculus (HOL 12).—Hibberd & Moore, 2014: 42, 119,

145 (non Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826).

Material examined. Holotype. Southern Ocean, N Kerguelen Plateau,

SMS Gazelle 1874, Kerguelen Islands, 183 m, ZMB 2070.

Other material (AAD species code: HOL 12). HIMI, Aurora

Bank, SC26(179), -52.48 71.75, 275 m, 1 May 2003, TMAG H3540 (1);

SC26(193), -52.42 71.87, 264 m, AAD; Southern Shell Bank,

SC26(263), -51.80 75.50, 628 m, TMAG H3433 (4); SC26(267), -51.82

76.02, 472 m, 10 May 2003, TMAG H3541 (1); Shell Bank MR,

SC46(128), -51.55 75.76, 337 m, AAD; off Heard I., AD67(40), -52.95

73.34, 112 m, NMV F76842 (1); Pike Bank, SC50(10), -51.31 71.77,

273 m, NMV F165737 (1) (UF tissue sequence code MOL AF667).

Eastern Antarctica, Prydz Bay, AA91(84), -68.05 73.18, 680 m,

NMV F71992 (1).

Western Antarctica, South Shetland Islands, AMLR 2003(71),

-62.44 -61.14, 138 m, NMV F104825 (1) (UF tissue sequence code

MOL AF574); South Shetland Islands, LI-AGT-3, -62.40 -61.76, 556

m, NMV F168644 (3) (UF tissue sequence code MOL AF809); South

Orkney Islands, US AMLR 2009(104), -63.23 -59.46, 757-783 m,

NMV F169293 (4); South Orkney Islands, US AMLR 2009(41-42),

-61.82 -46.19, 450-461 m, NMV F169294 (1); South Orkney Islands,

US AMLR 2009(21), -61.06 -42.84, 422-428 m, NMV F169295 (1);

off Hugo I., -64.74 -65.48, 684-705 m, NMV F169353 (1); South

Shetland Islands, US AMLR 2012(247), -62.38 -61.42, 344 m, NMV

F193760 (5).

Description. Body up to 145 mm long, up to 25 mm diameter

(preserved, NMV F169293, South Shetland Is), body form

cylindrical mid-body with short anterior taper to blunt rounded

end, posterior taper to short discrete thin tail, about 10% of

body length, body wall firm, leathery. Tentacles 15, digitiform,

each with single terminal digit. Calcareous ring solid, plates

fused, radials wider than inter-radials, radials with two anterior

lateral rounded projections, one with longitudinal muscle

attachment and anterior notch with anterior ends of notch

incurved and almost closed, tapered posterior prolongation

with small bifid posterior notch; inter-radials with pointed

anterior projection, broad rounded posterior indentation.

Length of tentacle ampullae more than twice the height of the

ring. Single polian vesicle tubular, long. Long stone canal with

spiral form; madreporite attached to body wall. Longitudinal

muscles broad, flat, each divided along mid-line by wide gap.

Gonad tubules branched.

Ossicles tables and fusiform rods, tables and rods in main

body wall, rods only caudally, in larger specimens main body

tables and fusiform rods variably to completely phosphatised;

tri-radiate table discs with predominantly three perforations,

often a few more than three, discs frequently irregular, disc

margin smooth or frequently with short to long rod-like

projections from margin distal to perforations, discs variable

in size, up to 190 pm across (excluding rod-like extensions

from margin), solid columnar spires with blunt distal spines,

spires about 70 pm high, tables phosphatize into reddish-

orange bodies; long fusiform rods in mid-body and tail, rods

widened centrally with elongate perforation with irregular

thin bridging rods creating 2-6 irregular perforations,

predominantly 3, rods variable in length, mid-body rods up to

up to 1300 pm long, only rods in mid-body phosphatize,

caudal fusiform rods smaller than in mid-body, up to 900 pm

long, mid-body and caudal fusiform rods never with solid

spire similar to tables. Inconspicuous anal scales in peri-anal

body wall, irregular columnar form, comprise a dense rod

network, scales up to about 360 pm long. Anchors or racquet¬

shaped plates not observed. Ossicles phosphatising to red,

orange and yellow irregularly oval bodies or clusters of

granules, sizes vary.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 14. Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876 photos and SEM ossicle images, a, left lateral view of holotype (oral end left) (ZMB 2070) (bottom

left insert with photo of tentacles); b, right lateral view of HIMI specimen of Molpadia violacea (NMV F165737) (insert with drawing of radial

(left) and inter-radial plates of the calcareous ring); c, d, SEM images of fusiform rod ossicles from HIMI specimen of Molpadia violacea (NMV

F165737); c, from mid-body wall (insert with drawings of table disc and spire); d, from caudal body wall.

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Figure 15. Microscope photos of ossicles and phosphatic bodies from specimens of Molpadia magdae O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin et al. 2013)

and Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876. a-d, Molpadia magdae. a, mid-body irregular table discs, ossicles beginning to phosphatize with small

phosphatic bodies present (from NMV F197215); b, caudal fusiform rods, some only with spires (from NMV F197215); c, mid-body irregular

table discs and fusiform rod, ossicles beginning to phosphatize (from NMV F68677); d, caudal fusiform rods, one with and one lacking spire

(from NMV F68677); e-f, Molpadia violacea. e, mid-body phosphatizing table disc (disc 64 pm across; from NMV F165737); f, mid-body

phosphatic bodies (from NMV F169293).

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

Figure 16. Photos of preserved Studer (1876) type specimens from the Kerguelen Islands, a, right lateral view of holotype of Trachythyone

muricata Studer, 1876 (ZMB 2252); b-d, photos of holotype of Psolidium poriferum (Studer, 1876) (ZMB 2259, as Cuvieria porifera ); b, lateral

view with oral end left; c, dorsal view with oral end right; d, ventral view with oral end right.

Colour of preserved body variable: oral end and discrete tail

frequently off-white; body off-white to blue-grey to grey with

fine black to red phosphatic spots or flecks; varying to coalescing

spots creating a dark red to black colour with a red-brown hue.

Live holotype violet (Studer, 1876).

Distribution. Southern Ocean, Kerguelen Plateau, Kerguelen

Islands, Aurora, Pike, Shell Banks, Heard I., 112-628 m.

Antarctica, Prydz Bay, Ross Sea and vicinity of the South Orkney

and South Shetland Islands.

Remarks. Clark (1908) and Deichmann (1940) were of the opinion

that Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876 is a junior synonym of

Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826. This opinion was discussed and

upheld emphatically by Pawson (1977). After examining many

specimens of Mopadia of different sizes, Pawson (1977) had

observed the great variability of ossicle form within the same

species. Pawson (1977) finally judged that M. musculus was

cosmopolitan in distribution with a wide bathymetric range of

35-5205 m. O’Loughlin et al. (2010) list Molpadia musculus

Risso, 1826 from Antarctica.

O’Loughlin et al. (2010) also showed that recent molecular

phylogenetic data are revealing many cryptic species and they

provided a phylogenetic tree for COl sequence data from 19

specimens judged to be Molpadia musculus. The specimens

were collected from the Amundsen Sea, Ross Sea and South

Shetland Islands in Antarctica, from Heard Island, and from

Western Australia. The tree indicates the probability of five

cryptic species. One of the species is Antarctic, with specimens

from the Ross Sea and the South Shetland Islands, and this clade

includes the specimen from Heard Island. None of the five

cryptic species includes a specimen from the Mediterranean

Sea, the type locality for Molpadia musculus. We judge from

these data, and the geographical separation, that none of these

specimens represents Molpadia musculus. We thus raise

Molpadia violacea Studer, 1876 out of synonymy with Molpadia

musculus Risso, 1826, and note that Antarctic Molpadia

Sea cucumbers of the Kerguelen Plateau, with descriptions of new genus and species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

specimens previously referred to M. musculus should in some

cases now be referred to Molpadia violacea.

We have examined specimens of Molpadia from Western

Antarctica that were previously thought to be Molpadia musculus

and based on colour, ossicle form and occurrence, the

phosphatising and disappearance of calcareous ossicles, the

absence of spires on caudal fusiform rods, and in two cases with

the support of the genetic data in O’Loughlin et al. (2010), we

refer them to Molpadia violacea. These are listed above. We

found only one specimen (NMV F71992) that was collected

from Prydz Bay that appears to be Molpadia violacea. It exhibits

appropriate colouration, no spires on caudal fusiform rods, and

abundant phosphatic bodies in the body wall.

We have identified a number of specimens that were

previously thought to be Molpadia musculus, from Prydz Bay in

Eastern Antarctica and the Amundsen Sea in Western Antarctica,

as Molpadia magdae O’Loughlin (in O’Loughlin et al. 2013):

from Prydz Bay lots NMV F68058 (1), NMV F197215 (2), NMV

F68677 (1), NMV F71993; and from the Amundsen Sea lot

NMV F168645 (1). These specimens are characterized by: lack

of colour and minimal phosphatizing; a body cover of table

spires; irregular triradiate table discs that frequently have long

rod-like marginal elongations; and asymmetrical fusiform rods

caudally, some of which have spires and inter-grade with tables

(see Figure 15 a-d). Molpadia magdae was described from the

South Shetland Islands and this work extends its distribution to

Prydz Bay in Eastern Antarctica. We have never detected spires

on caudal fusiform rods in specimens of Molpadia violacea.

Some distributions of HIMil and Kerguelen Islands

holothuroid species beyond the Kerguelen Plateau.

In addition to the holothuroid species reported here for HIMI we

add two more to complete a list for the Kerguelen Plateau.

Clarkiella deichmannae O’Loughlin, 2009 was described for

BANZARE specimens taken in the Kerguelen Islands.

Pseudopsolus macquariensis forma gruai Cherbonnier & Guille,

1975 was described for littoral specimens from the Kerguelen

Islands. A thorough description was provided and this variety

was distinguished from the Macquarie Island species

Pseudopsolus macquariensis (Dendy, 1897) by the presence of

ossicles in body parts where they were consistently reported to be

absent by numbers of workers. We raise this “forma” to species

status as Pseudopsolus gruai Cherbonnier & Guille, 1975.

O’Loughlin et al. (2010) provide a comprehensive list of

Antarctic holothuroids. O’Hara (1998) reported on nine

holothuroid species from Macquarie Island. Subsequently Davey

& Whitfield (2013) reported Psolidium marriotti Davey &

Whitfield, 2013, Psolus antarticus (Philippi, 1857), Psolus

macquariensis Davey & Whitfield, 2013, Psolus parantarcticus

Mackenzie & Whitfield, 2011 and Psolus salottii Mackenzie &

Whitfield, 2011 from the Macquarie Ridge.

Pawson (1969) reported Heterocucumis godeffroyi (Semper,

1868) from southern Chile.

The type localities for Psolus antarcticus (Philippi, 1857) and

Trachythyone lechleri (Lampert, 1885) are the Straits of

Magellan. O’Loughlin & VandenSpiegel (2010) reported a

widespread distribution of Sigmodota contorta (Ludwig, 1875) in

Antarctica and the southern region of South America (type

locality unknown).

Fifteen holothuroid species are reported here for Bouvetoya

Island (list compiled from Ludwig & Heding 1935 ( Valdivia

voyage in 1898), Theel 1886 ( Challenger voyage in 1876), and

NMV specimens): Bathyplotes bongraini Vaney, 1914;

Bathyplotes moseleyi (Theel 1886); Protelpidia murrayi (Theel

1879); Cucamba psolidiformis (Vaney, 1908); Heterocucumis

steineni (Ludwig, 1898); Psolidiella mollis (Ludwig & Heding,

1935); Psolicrux coatsi (Vaney, 1908); Psolidium whittakeri

O’Loughlin & Ahearn, 2008; Psolus antarcticus (Philippi, 1857);

Psolus charcoti Vaney, 1906; Psolus dubiosus Ludwig & Heding,

1935; Psolus murrayi Theel, 1886; Staurocucumis liouvillei

(Vaney, 1914); Trachythyone bouvetensis (Ludwig & Heding,

1935); Sigmodota contorta (Ludwig, 1875). We note that Carriol

& Feral (1985) considered a paratype of Psolus dubiosus Ludwig

& Heding, 1935 to be their Psolus paradubiosus. In the absence

of supportive material we distrust this judgment, and think that

the specimen may be the similar Psolus antarcticus that we have

found in Bouvetoya waters.

The above reports indicate that the holothuroid fauna of the

Kerguelen Plateau has eight species with distributions that are

continuous with the relatively shallow fauna of the Antarctic

coast, and five species that occur in the Magellanic region of

South America. Two of these latter five species have not been

found on the coast of Antarctica (. Heterocucumis godeffroyi and

Trachythyone lechleri ).

Of the 15 species reported for Bouvetoya Island, 13 occur on

the coast of Antarctica (no reports of Psolus paradubiosus or

Psolus murrayi on the Antarctic coast). Only three are reported

for the Kerguelen Plateau ( Psolus antarcticus, Staurocucumis

liouvillei, Sigmodota contorta).

Two species ( Pentactella laevigata and Psolus antarcticus )

reported for Macquarie Island (north of the Antarctic

Convergence) occur on the Kerguelen Plateau, the northern

part of which has proximity with the Antarctic Convergence. A

COl sequence from an HIMI specimen of Pentactella laevigata

clades with one from the Macquarie Ridge (Gustav Paulay

pers. comm).

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the following persons for their contributions

to this paper: Ben Boonen (format of figures); Mark Darragh

(formerly at NMV; photographs of ZMB type specimens); Ty

Hibberd and Kirrily Moore (formerly of the AAD;

identification and curation of HIMI specimens); Carsten Litter

(facilitation of loan of ZMB Gazelle specimens in 2001);

Kirrily Moore (currently TMAG; for facilitating the loan of

specimens and provision of data); David Smith (Australian

Antarctic Data Centre; provision of the map in Figure 1,

of Australia 2015); Dirk Welsford (AAD; assistance with the

provision of the Figure 1 map). We are grateful to the AAD for

the donation of some HIMI specimens to NMV, and to NMV

for the use of facilities. We are most grateful to Frank Rowe

(Research Associate of the Australian Museum) for reviewing

our manusript.

P.M. O’Loughlin, J. Skarbnik-Lopez, M. Mackenzie and D. VandenSpiegel

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:95-105 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea): new family, generic and species

synonymies, three new Australian species, and new records

Gary C. B. Poore and David J. Collins

Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia gpoore@museum.vic.gov.au

http://zoobank.Org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D6DE4A5B-FDE8-4BE0-8A44-183DC557A32C

Abstract Poore, G.C.B. and Collins, DJ. 2015. Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea): new family, generic and species

synonymies, three new Australian species, and new records. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 95-105.

The Micheleidae are shown to include all taxa previously separated as Meticonaxiidae. A revised key to genera,

Marcusiaxius, Meticonaxius, Tethisea and Michelea is presented. Meteoraxius Sakai and Tiirkay, 2012 is synonymised

with Meticonaxius de Man, 1905. Micheleopsis Sakai, 2010 is synonymised with Michelea Kensley and Heard, 1991;

among other quite trivial differences, the genus had been differentiated on a simple form of the male pleopod 1, suspected

to be a juvenile feature and/or lacking merit as a generic character. Three new species, Michelea kalbarri, M. imperieusae

and Tethisea alanwilliamsi are described. Michelea kalbarri is unique in its genus in lacking pleopodal lamellae. Michelea

novaecaledoniae Poore, 1997 is added to the Australian fauna. Michelea paraleura is synonymised with M. leura.

Keywords Crustacea, Decapoda, Axiidea, Meticonaxiidae, Micheleidae, Meticonaxius, Tethisea, Michelea, new species

Introduction

The family Micheleidae Sakai, 1992 sensu lato was reviewed

globally by Poore (1997) who recognised 26 species in four

genera. Two genera and five species have been added since

(Lin, 2006; Liu and Liu, 2012; Poore, 2008; Sakai, 2010).

Poore (1994, 1997) treated two subfamilies, Meticonaxiinae

Sakai, 1992 and Micheleinae Sakai, 1992, as synonymous but

they were revived at the family level by Sakai (2011). Here,

this disagreement is reviewed in the light of a reappraisal of

morphological characters with support from molecular

analyses. The two recent genera are assessed and found to be

synonymous with others of long standing. Finally, three new

Australian species are described while making their generic

diagnoses more flexible.

With most species represented by few specimens growth

changes are poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that

the fully-formed male pleopod 1, a stalked triangular blade,

may not be present in juvenile males, and then develops

through bud-like forms over more than one instar. This

variability needs to be taken into taxonomic account at the

species and genus level.

This is the second of two papers dealing in part with

collections of Axiidea made as part of a project mounted by

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (CMAR) and

Museum Victoria entitled “Mapping benthic ecosystems on

the deep continental shelf and slope in Australia’s South West

Region” (Poore and Collins, 2009). The project has shown the

decapod crustacean fauna to be rich and diverse (Poore et al.,

2008). The material collected in the south-west is supplemented

by more taken along the north-western Australian slope and

by collections from the Northern Territory.

Material is deposited in Museum Victoria, Melbourne

(NMV), the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery,

Darwin (NTMAG) and the US National Museum of Natural

History, Washington (USNM). Measurements are of carapace

length (cl.) including rostrum.

One family or two?

Kensley and Heard (1991) reviewed the Callianideidae

Kossmann, 1880, including seven genera. Their PAUP analysis

of morphological characters resulted in three clades

comprising: (1) Callianidea H. Milne Edwards, 1837; (2)

Mictaxius Kensley and Heard, 1991, Crosniera Kensley and

Heard, 1991 and Thomassinia de Saint Laurent, 1973; and (3)

Marcusiaxius Rodrigues and de Carvalho, 1972, Meticonaxius

de Man, 1905 and Michelea Kensley and Heard, 1991. The

three clades were united by absence of a suture on the uropodal

endopod, flattened pereopods 3 and 4, setal rows on pleomeres

and pereopods 2-4. The first two of these clade are now

treated as Callianideidae s.s., with Thomassiniidae treated as

a junior synonym (Dworschak et al., 2012; Poore, 2015).

It is a moot point whether one or two families should be

recognised for the genera of Kensley and Heard’s (1991)

third clade. Sakai (1992) introduced two subfamilies of

G.C.B. Poore and D.J. Collins

Callianideidae, Micheleinae for Michelea and Meticonaxiinae

for the others. Poore (1994) synonymised the two subfamilies

relying on the paraphyly of three meticonaxiine genera,

Marcusiaxius, Meticonaxius and Tethisea Poore, 1994.

While he found numerous synapomorphies for Michelea,

none supported grouping of the others. This argument was

followed by Poore (1997) who stated that numerous

synapomorphies united all taxa. This analysis was criticised

by Sakai (2011) in support of retention of his original taxa at

family level. He believed the characters used were of “no

significance” compared to others relying instead on the

rostrum being obsolete in Michelea and produced in the

other genera and differences in pleopods, propodi of

pereopods 3 and 4, pleurobranchs, the telson and uropodal

endopod. Of these characters only the rostrum, pleopods and

pereopodal propodi were listed in his family diagnoses;

other characters in his diagnoses are essentially identical in

the two families. He erroneously contrasted pereopod 5 in

the two families - it is subchelate in both. Sakai’s (2014)

amended key to axiidean families separated the two families

Micheleidae and Meticonaxiidae on the size of the rostrum,

‘small’ in the former and ‘distinct’ in the latter. The two lines

of his couplet 6 are virtually identical and would not separate

Micheleidae (Michelea) from Callianideidae as they are

intended to do.

The difference of opinion is not so much about whether

Michelea differs from the others or not but on whether

‘Meticonaxiidae’ can be defined as a monophyletic taxon. No

morphological evidence supports their monophyly. Robles et

al.’s (2009: fig. 1) Bayesian analysis of 16S and 18S data

contained just two sister species, Michelea sp. and Tethisea

mindoro Poore, 1994, so contributed nothing to the

Meticonaxiidae/Micheleidae question. A more complete

analysis of basal axiidean taxa by the same authors is available

as part of an ongoing analysis aimed principally at elaborating

the relationships of Callianassoidea first explored by Felder

and Robles (2009). This as yet unpublished cladogram shows

T. mindoro to be sister taxon to a clade containing three

species of Meticonaxius on one branch and two species of

Michelea on another (R. Robles, pers. comm., Jan 2014). This

result accords with the conclusion of Poore (1994, 1997).

Micheleidae Sakai, 1992

Micheleinae Sakai, 1992: 18.

Meticonaxiinae Sakai, 1992: 19.

Micheleidae.—Poore, 1994: 99.—Poore, 1997: 354-357.—Poore,

2004: 176.—Poore, 2008: 174.— Sakai, 2011: 311.—Dworschak et al.,

2012: 190.—Sakai, 2014: 611 (key).

Meticonaxiidae.—Sakai, 2011: 297-301.—Sakai and Tiirkay,

2014: 161.—Sakai, 2014: 611 (key) Syn. nov.

Diagnosis. Cephalothorax, rostrum, pleon, telson and uropod

unarmed. Rostrum obsolete or a flat triangular plate with

sublateral carinae extending almost to cervical groove. Linea

thalassinica absent. Posterior margin of carapace curved

medially, with lateral lobes interacting with pleomere 1.

Thoracic sternite 7 broad, flattened posteriorly, narrow

anteriorly. Setal-rows present usually on anterolateral carapace,

on lateral face of propodi of pereopods 2-4, and on pleomeres

1 and 6 and sometimes others. Eyestalks cylindrical, tapering;

sometimes without pigmented eyes. Antenna with articulating

scaphocerite. Maxilla scaphognathite with 1 or 2 long setae on

posterior lobe extending into branchial chamber. Maxilliped 3

pediform. Pereopod 1 (cheliped) merus lower margin straight,

sometimes with spine. Pereopod 2 chelate. Pereopod 3

propodus ovate or subrectangular; pereopods 3 and 4 propodi

with or without distal spiniform seta on lower margin (facial

spiniform setae in Michelea ). Male pleopod 1 with triangular

second article, appendix interna represented by hooks.

Pleopods 2-5 similar, with elongate rami, each with elongate

appendix interna, with or without marginal plates. Uropod

endopod ovate; exopod without dorsal plate.

Remarks. The family contains four genera of which

Marcusiaxius Rodrigues and de Carvalho, 1972 has not been

reported from Australia. The genus and its type species M.

lemoscastroi were validly published by Rodrigues and

Carvalho (1972) and redescribed by Carvalho and Rodrigues

(1973) both in another journal later. Sakai (2011) erroneously

maintained without explanation that the latter were first

authors. The other genera are discussed below.

Key to genera of Micheleidae

Remarks. Poore’s (1997) review included four genera. Two

have been added since, Micheleopsis Sakai, 2010 which can

not be clearly distinguished from Michelea, and Meteoraxius

Sakai and Tiirkay, 2012 which can not be distinguised from

Meticonaxius de Man, 1905 (see discussions below). These and

the discovery of species that are atypical of their genera

necessitates redrafting and correcting Poore’s (1997) key to

genera. Sakai’s (2011: 298-300) key to ‘Meticonaxiidae’ is

simpler but less reliable.

1. Rostrum minute, triangular; usually without pleurobranchs

above pereopod 2-4; usually with pleopodal lamellae;

pereopods 3 and 4 with lateral spiniform setae. Michelea

- Rostrum prominent, flat; usually with pleurobranchs

above pereopod 2-4; without pleopodal lamellae;

pereopods 3 and 4 without lateral spiniform setae.2

2. Uropodal endopod with anterior margin convex, ending

by curving to rounded posterior margin; maxilliped 1

exopod with second linear article; pleomeres 3-5 without

setal-rows. Tethisea

- Uropodal endopod with straight anterior margin ending

sharply; maxilliped 1 exopod without second article;

pleomeres 3-5 with setal-rows.3

3. Eyes visible in dorsal view, rostrum narrowly rounded or

acute; cheliped fixed finger with major tooth two-thirds

way along; uropodal endopod at most 1.5 times as long as

wide. Meticonaxius

- Eyes not visible in dorsal view, rostrum broadly rounded,

bullet-shaped; cheliped fixed finger with major tooth one-

third way along; uropodal endopod about twice as long as

wide. Marcusiaxius

Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea)

Meticonaxius de Man, 1905

Meticonaxius de Man, 1905: 592.—Poore, 1997: 364-365 (for

synonymy).—Sakai, 2011: 305-306.

Meteoraxius Sakai and Tiirkay, 2012: 731-732 (type species

Meteoraxius meteor Sakai and Tiirkay, 2012, by original designation).

Syn. nov.

Remarks. Meticonaxius has a long synonymy (see Poore,

1997). Sakai and Tiirkay (2012) compared their new genus and

species, Meteoraxius meteor, with Marcusiaxius from which it

differs in several features. Unfortunately, they did not compare

it with Meticonaxius from which it can not be distinguished.

Both genera vary in few characters that might be considered of

generic value. The rostrum of species of Meticonaxius is

narrower than that of species of Marcus iaxius ; in some the

apex is rounded and others acute but the eyes are always visible

dorsally, unlike in Marcusiaxius where the broadly rounded

rostrum covers the eyes. Meteoraxius meteor lacks setal rows

on the carapace; the number recorded throughout the 15 species

of both genera ranges from one to three so absence could not be

considered of generic value. The species has a moderately

developed crista dentata on maxilliped 3; it is absent in

Marcusiaxius but variably developed in Meticonaxius species.

Meteoraxius meteor has a long maxilliped 3 exopod; is usually

rudimentary in these genera but can be as long as half the

ischium. Meteoraxius meteor has the same shaped telson,

longer than wide, as in all other species of Meticonaxius,

different from the short telson of Marcusiaxius species. The

uropodal endopod of M. meteor has a triangular apex and the

exopod rounded. Similar uropods are seen in some species of

Meticonaxius but in others the exopod ends more squarely.

Meteoraxius post-dates and was not included in the review of

Sakai (2011). The genus is here synonymised with Meticonaxius.

Sakai (2011) excluded Meticonaxius longispina (Stebbing,

1920) and M. microps (Bouvier, 1905) from this genus, placing

them in Marcusiaxius instead. He argued that the rostrum in

both species ‘is not so acutely triangular as in Meticonaxius,

but obtusely triangular as in Marcusiaxius .’ While the

rostrums of these two species are more rounded than in other

species of Meticonaxius both have dorsally visible eyes, broad

uropodal endopod and more distally placed tooth on the fixed

finger, all characteristic of this genus. The rostrum of species

of Marcusiaxius can not be referred to as ‘obtusely triangular’.

Poore (1997) provided a key to eight species of

Meticonaxius. Lin (2006) added another and tabulated

characters of nine species. Sakai and Tiirkay (2014) redescribed

and illustrated M. coeca (Balss, 1921) from Tanzania and

removed it from synonymy of M. monodon de Man, 1905 from

Indonesia. Species now number ten.

Meticonaxius is represented in Australia only by M. soela

Sakai, 1992 at 300 m in the Coral Sea.

Michelea Kensley and Heard, 1991

Michelea Kensley and Heard, 1991: 519.—Poore, 1997: 373-

375.—Poore, 2008: 175,-Poore, 2004: 176-177.-Sakai, 2011: 311-

312.

Micheleopsis Sakai, 2010: 1462 (type species Micheleopsis orlik

Sakai, 2010, by original designation) Syn. nov.

Remarks. Poore (1997) diagnosed the genus and provided a key

to the ten species known. Michelea dampieri Poore, 2008,

Michelea takeda Liu and Liu, 2012, Michelea orlik (Sakai,

2010) transferred from Micheleopsis, and the two new species

described below can be added to his list. Members of the genus

can usually be recognised by the presence of lamellae on the

edges of the pleopodal rami but one of the new species

described below lacks these lamellae. Otherwise, the extremely

short rostrum, laterally compressed carapace, pereopodal

setation, ovate uropodal rami, cylindrical eyestalks and the

elongate first article of the antennule characterise the genus.

Sakai (2010) erected the new genus Micheleopsis that he

said looks superficially similar to Michelea. For the important

generic characters listed above the two do not differ. He noted

that the carapace of the new genus (represented by a single

individual of one species, M. orlik ) bears a dorsolateral carina

running from each side of the rostrum to the posterior third of

the gastric region - a similar carina has been illustrated for M.

microphylla Poore, 1997 and is hinted at in other illustrations.

The character would seem to rely on authors’ interpretations

and illustrations. He noted that the maxilliped 3 exopod is

rudimentary - it exceeds the ischium in all other species. This

is one of several variable features of the genus, notably the

number of gills and pleopodal lamellae, treated as being of

specific value. Neither difference warrants separating a new

genus from Michelea and it is here synonymised.

Sakai (2010) also stated that the specimen of M. orlik was

a male with uniramous pleopods 1, with distal patches of

hooks, and 2-articulate pleopod 2 endopods without an

appendix masculina. His illustration seems of a somewhat

distorted, damaged or teratological ramus - nothing like it

appears elsewhere in axioids. Adult males of seven species of

Michelea are known: M. abranchiata Poore, 1997, M.

dampieri, M. devanyi Poore, 1997, M. imperieusae sp. nov.,

M. leura (Poore and Griffin, 1979), Michelea takeda and M.

vandoverae (Gore, 1987) - all have a male pleopod 1 typical

of species in all micheleid genera, a stalked triangular blade

with mesial hooks, and an appendix masculina on pleopod 2.

Other species are known only from females or males in which

pleopod 1 is absent or bud-like. The male holotype of M. lepta

(Sakai, 1987) lacks pleopod 1 and an appendix masculina on

pleopod 2; M. microphylla Poore, 1997 has an obsolete simple

pleopod 1 and lacks an appendix masculina. Representatives

of all species being so few, growth-related change in micheleids

has not been reported. Seven males of M. vandoverae (cl.

4.1-6.2 mm, USNM collections) all possess a typical pleopod

1 (C.C. Tudge, pers. comm. 9 Mar 2013). In this paper we

report a male of M. leura without a male pleopod 1, of which

a male, previously identified as its synonym M. paraleura

Poore, 1997, possesses a fully-formed pleopod.

The same variation occurs in Tethisea (see below).

Dworschak (2008) documented similar changes in pleopod 1 in

a somewhat related species, Neocallichirus karumba (Poore and

Griffin, 1979). We conclude that full formation of the male

pleopod 1 may occur over more than one instar (absence to bud¬

like to triangular). Genera based on what could be juvenile

features, such as a less than fully formed male pleopod 1, can not

be justified while uncertainty remains over allometric changes.

G.C.B. Poore and D.J. Collins

Micheleopsis is treated here as a junior synonym of

Michelea. Neither the genus nor its only species was mentioned

by Sakai (2011) in his otherwise comprehensive summary of

Michelea and its included taxa.

About half of the 13 species of Michelea are Australian:

M. dampieri Poore, 2008, M. microphylla Poore, 1997, M.

hortus Poore, 1997, M. leura (Poore and Griffin, 1979), M.

novaecaledoniae Poore, 1997 newly recorded, and two newly

erected here.

Michelea imperieusae sp. nov.

Figure 1

Michelea sp. MoV5530.-McCallum, 2012: 57.

Material examined. Holotype. Western Australia, RV Southern

Surveyor Imperieuse L23 transect (18°27.37'S-18°27.43'S,

120 o 08.41'E-120°08.4rE), 80-81 m, 19 Jun 2007 (stn SS05/2007/082),

NMV J55702 (male, cl 3.5 mm, fixed in 96% ethanol).

Diagnosis. Gills fully developed. Pleopods 2-5 with 20/5,

19/10,20/15 and 20/15 marginal lamellae on endopods/exopods

respectively. Telson tapering, length 1.1 width. Maxilliped 3

ischium with obsolete crista dentata, exopod longer than

ischium; merus with mesial tooth.

Description. Cephalothorax 0.25 total length, about 1.8 times

as long as greatest depth; rostrum acute, sharply narrowing

from broad base, slightly depressed distally, about 0.7 as long

as eyestalks; cervical groove weakly defined, reaching 0.65

length of cephalothorax; longitudinal setal-row level with

lateral margin of eyestalk, of 6 setae; marginal setal-row of 2

setae at base of eyestalk.

Pleomere 1 with dorsolateral longitudinal setal-row of 6

setae. Pleomeres 2-4 with transverse setal-row of about 6

setae near lateral posterior margin; pleomere 5 with transverse

setal-row of 8 setae; all somites also with groups of long

simple setae, none with marginal setal-rows. Pleomere 6 with

2 transverse setal-rows of 3 setae.

Antennule with elongate waisted article 1, 0.4 times length

of cephalothorax; articles 2 and 3 subequal, each about 0.25

length of article 1; flagella each of 10 articles, longer than

peduncle. Antenna with distinct articulating scaphocerite,

about third length of article 2; article 4 reaching to middle of

article 2 of antenna 1; article 5 short; flagellum of 20 articles,

more than twice as long as peduncle.

Mandible, maxillules, maxillae, maxillipeds 1 and 2

typical of genus. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista

dentata; merus with strong mesial tooth; exopod 1.7 times

ischium length.

Chelipeds unknown.

Pereopod 2 merus-propodus with lower marginal rows of

long setae; carpus 0.55 length of merus; propodus little longer

than carpus with setal-row of 7 short setae; fixed finger cutting

edge with 4 short spiniform setae; dactylus longer than fixed

finger, with 3 short spiniform setae on distal half of cutting

edge; each finger with corneous tip. Pereopod 3 propodus

twice as long as wide, with 4 spiniform setae on lower margin,

plus 2 on distal-lower and 2 on distal-upper mesial face; and 2

transverse setal-rows of 3 and 2 setae; dactylus with 2

spiniform setae on upper-mesial margin. Pereopod 4 propodus

3 times as long as wide, 9 spiniform setae, some in pairs, on

lower mesial face, and 6 on upper margin, and transverse

setal-row of 4 setae; dactylus with 3 spiniform setae on upper-

mesial margin. Pereopod 5 subchelate; propodus with setae on

lower margin; fixed finger with 5 spiniform setae.

Pleopods 1 of male curved mesially, expanded distally,

with c. 8 minute hooks, setose around midpoint and laterally,

and with 1 simple seta at apex. Pleopod 2 with 20/5 marginal

lamellae on endopod/exopod respectively; appendix masculina

third length of endopod; appendix interna half length of

appendix masculina. Pleopod 3 with appendix interna sac-

like, 3 times as long as wide; with 19 lamellae on endopod, 10

on exopod; pleopods 4 and 5 each with 20 lamellae on

endopod, 15 on exopod.

Uropodal endopod ovate, 1.6 times as long as wide, with a

minute distal tooth; exopod ovate, 1.8 times as long as wide,

mesiodistal margin oblique, lateral margin with 5 short

spiniform setae. Telson tapering to rounded apex from one-

quarter length; 1.15 times as long as wide.

Gills fully developed.

Distribution. Western Australia, 18°S, 120°E, 80 m.

Etymology. Imperieusae , from Imperieuse Reef, near the type

locality, noun in genitive case.

Remarks. Although the chelipeds are missing we are confident

that this is a new species closest to M. hortus. It differs in

having more pleopodal lamellae ( M. hortus has only four or five

marginal lamellae on the pleopodal endopods and none on the

exopods), and more elongate uropodal rami (endopod and

exopod 1.4 and 1.6 times as long as wide respectively) and

telson (as wide as long).

Michelea kalbarri sp. nov.

Figure 2

Michelea sp. MoV4969.—Poore et al., 2008: 95.

Material examined. Holotype. Western Australia, off Kalbarri

(27°48.29'S-28°29.22'S, 113°17.49'E-113°25.08'E), 123-112 m, 04

Dec 2005 (stn SS10/2005/096), NMV J53462 (female, cl 3.4 mm).

Diagnosis. Gills fully developed. Pleopods 2-5 without

marginal lamellae. Telson tapering to rounded apex, length 1.2

width. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata;

merus with mesial tooth.

Description. Cephalothorax 0.37 total length, about 1.7 times

as long as greatest depth; rostrum acute, sharply narrowing

from broad base, slightly depressed distally, about 0.7 as long

as eyestalks; cervical groove weakly defined, reaching 0.7

length of cephalothorax; longitudinal setal-row level with

lateral margin of eyestalk, of 5 setae; marginal setal-row of 5

setae at base of eyestalk.

Pleomere 1 without dorsolateral longitudinal setal-row.

Pleomeres 3-5 with transverse setal-rows of 6-7 setae near

midpoint; all somites also with groups of long simple setae,

none with marginal setal-rows. Pleomere 6 with transverse

setal-row of 4 setae.

Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea)

Figure 1. Michelea imperieusae sp. nov. Holotype, NMV J55702. a, habitus, b, anterior carapace, with antennules, antennae, lateral view, c, telson

and uropods. d, maxilliped 3. e-f, pereopods 2-5. i—1, male pleopods 1-3. Scale bar applies to habitus only.

100

G.C.B. Poore and D.J. Collins

Figure 2. Michelea kalbarri sp. nov. Holotype, NMV J53462. a, habitus, b, c, anterior carapace, antennules and antennae, lateral and dorsal views,

d, telson and uropods. e, maxilliped 3. f-j, cheliped, pereopods 2-5, with detail of dactyli. k, pleopod 3. Scale bar applies to habitus only.

Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea)

101

Antennule with elongate waisted article 1, 0.4 length of

cephalothorax; articles 2 and 3 subequal, each about 0.25

length of article 1; flagella each of 14 articles, longer than

peduncle. Antenna with distinct articulating scaphocerite,

about half length of article 2; article 4 reaching to middle of

article 3 of antennule; article 5 short; flagellum of 17 articles,

more than twice as long as peduncle.

Mandible, maxillules, maxillae, maxillipeds 1 and 2 typical

of genus. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata;

merus with strong mesial tooth; exopod 1.7 times ischium length.

Chelipeds equal; ischium with weak lower tooth; merus

twice as long as deep, upper margin convex, with weak tooth

on slightly convex lower margin; carpus unarmed; propodus

almost cylindrical, 3.5 times as long as deep; fixed finger 0.37

total length of propodus, its cutting edge with 1 obsolete tooth

at midpoint; dactylus cutting edge straight, curved distally,

equal to fixed finger.

Pereopod 2 merus-propodus with lower marginal rows of

long setae; carpus 0.5 length of merus; propodus 1.3 times as

long as carpus, with setal-row of 5 short setae; fixed finger

cutting edge with 5 short spiniform setae; dactylus longer than

fixed finger, with 4 short spiniform setae on distal half of

cutting edge; each finger with corneous tip. Pereopod 3

propodus 2.5 times as long as wide, with 2 spiniform setae on

distal-upper mesial face, 7 on distal-lower face; and 2 transverse

setal-rows of 3 and 4 setae; dactylus with 3 spiniform setae on

upper margin. Pereopod 4 propodus 3.5 times as long as wide,

with 3 spiniform setae on lower margin, 3 spiniform setae and

numerous pectinate distally; with transverse setal-row of 3

setae; dactylus with 4 spiniform setae on upper-mesial margin.

Pereopod 5 semichelate; propodus with setae on lower margin

transforming to strongly pectinate distally; fixed finger with 4

distal spiniform setae; dactylus without spiniform setae.

Pleopods 2-5 without marginal lamellae; appendix interna

sac-like, 3 times as long as wide.

Uropodal endopod ovate, 1.65 times as long as wide, with

a minute distal tooth; exopod ovate, almost twice as long as

wide, lateral margin with about 20 short spiniform setae.

Telson tapering to rounded apex from one-third length; 1.2

times as long as wide.

Branchial formula (f = filamentous; r = rudimentary):

Thoracomere 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Arthrobranch - r 1 2 2 2 2

Epipod 1111111

Podobranch — — f f f f —

Michelea novaecaledoniae Poore, 1997

Michelea novaecaledoniae Poore, 1997: 388-390, fig. 22.—

Sakai, 2011: 316.

Material examined. Coral Sea, Chesterfield Reef (19°06'S, 158°53'E),

32-60 m, R. Hanley, 27 Jul 1988 (NTMAG Cr013049, female;

NTMAG Cr013052, ovigerous female with 10 embryos, cl 4.3 mm).

Distribution. New Caledonia, 22°S, 166°E, and Chesterfield

Reef, Coral Sea, 19°S, 158°E, 32-60 m.

Remarks. The pleopods and tailfan are consistent with the

description of the type specimen from New Caledonia. The

endopods of pleopods 3 and 4 have three and four lateral

lamellae plus one mesially. This is the first record of an

ovigerous female of Michelea. It is striking for the paucity of

embryos (ten only) and their large oval size, 1.8 x 1.1 mm, 0.4

of the carapace length. This second record extends the species’

distribution.

Michelea leura (Poore and Griffin, 1979)

Callianidea leura Poore and Griffin, 1979: 281-284, figs 40,41.—

Sakai, 1984: 104.

Michelea leura.— Kensley and Heard 1991 : 519.—Poore, 1997:

381-386, figs 17-19.—Sakai, 2011: 315.

Michelea paraleura Poore, 1997: 390-393, figs 23, 24.—Sakai,

2011: 316. Syn. nov.

Material examined. Australia, NT, Port Essington, Mangrove Point

Reef (11°24.0'S, 132°11.0'E), LWS, R. Hanley, 15 Sep 1985 (NTMAG

Cr013206, juvenile male, cl 2.5 mm).

Distribution. NT, Qld, 11°-19°S, reef, 1-2 m.

Remarks. Poore’s (1997) arguments separating M. paraleura

from M. leura seem now unconvincing. The new juvenile male,

three-quarters the size of the figured paratype male from NT,

lacks a first pleopod. The appendix masculina carries fewer

setae than in the paratype. The numbers of lamellae on the

endopod and exopod of pleopod 2 are fewer (17, 13) then those

of the larger paratype (26, 15) but more are evident on more

posterior pleopods. The species was previously recorded from

the Great Barrier Reef, Qld, and Oxley Island, NT. This record

takes the species to mainland Australia.

Tethisea Poore, 1994

Tethisea Poore, 1994: 99-100.—Poore, 1997: 393-394.—Sakai,

2011: 309.

Distribution. Western Australia, 27°S, 113°E, 112-123 m.

Etymology. The specific name is that of a town near the type

locality; noun in apposition.

Remarks. Michelea kalbarri is notable for the absence of

pleopodal lamellae on both rami, present on at least one ramus

in all other species. While this feature has been treated as a key

generic character the numbers of lamellae are highly variable,

being absent on exopods of three species (Sakai, 2011) while

the maximum is almost 100 on both rami in M. lamellosa

Kensley and Heard, 1991. In all other respects, general habitus

and pereopods, the species is a typical member of Michelea.

Remarks. The rostrum, tapering truncate telson and ovate

uropodal endopod of the new species described here are of the

same form as those of the two species of Tethisea Poore, 1994

(Poore, 1997). The new species differs significantly in the

absence of strong spiniform setae in the gape of the cheliped

and the blunt, rather than attenuating and acute cheliped

fingers. As in Michelea discussed above, the male pleopod 1

varies within and possibly between species. The male pleopod

1 of the new species is of the triangular form typical of adult

micheleids. Of seven males of T. mindoro Poore, 1997 in

Museum Victoria the two larger specimens (cl, 5.0, 6.5 mm)

possess bud-like pleopods 1 and in five specimens (cl, 2.2-5.0

102

G.C.B. Poore and D.J. Collins

mm) pleopod 1 is absent. None has a triangular pleopod 1 but

might be anticipated in a larger male. The appendix masculina

is present on all pleopods 2.

Besides the new species described below, Tethisea mindoro

occurs in Western Australia, the only Australian state in which

the genus occurs.

Tethisea alanwilliamsi sp. nov.

Figures 3, 4

Tethisea sp. MoV5472.—Poore et al., 2008: 95.

Material examined. Holotype. Western Australia, off Pt Hillier

(35°22.53'S-35°22.56'S, 117°l2.irE-li7 o n.31'E), 419-460 m, 22

Nov 2005 (stn SS10/2005/096), NMV J55604 (male, cl 9.7 mm).

Diagnosis. Rostrum with convex lateral margins meeting at

subacute tip. Maxilliped 3 without exopod. Cheliped without

strong spiniform setae in gape; fingers moderatly stout, not

finely attenuating. Uropodal exopod 1.3 times as long as wide.

Description. Cephalothorax 0.35 total length, about 1.1 times

as deep as wide; rostrum with convex lateral margins, obscuring

eyes from dorsal view, meeting at subacute tip, slightly

depressed distally, with dorsal setae along lateral carinae, 1.6

times as long as broad at base of eyes, almost 3 times as long as

eyestalks; lateral carinae extending on to cephalothorax,

without median carina; cervical groove weakly defined;

dorsoposterior margin a convex medial lobe, separated from

posterolateral margins; without setal-row.

Pleomere 1 narrower than pleomere 2, with anterolateral

lobes overlying posterolateral margins of cephalothorax;

pleuron without marginal spine; dorsolateral setal-row of 7

setae. Pleomere 2 1.5 times as long as first, pleuron broadly

overlapping first somite. Pleomeres 2-5 without setal-rows.

Pleomere 6 with longitudinal setal-row of about 10 setae.

Eyestalks acute distally, cornea pale, distal.

Antennule with article 1 shorter than rostrum; articles 2

and 3 subequal, each about 0.4 length of article 1; flagella each

of c. 14 articles, longer than peduncle. Antenna with long

acute articulating scaphocerite, 0.85 length of article 4; article

4 reaching to near end of article 3 of antenna 1; article 5 short.

Mandible, maxillae, maxillipeds 1 and 2 typical of genus.

Maxilliped 3 ischium with crista dentata of 7 blunt teeth; merus

without mesial tooth; ischium-merus with dense mesial rows of

long setae; carpus-dactylus longer than ischium-merus;

exopod almost semicircular, length about half width of ischium.

Chelipeds equal in size but with slight variation in

spination; ischium with distal spine on lower margin; merus

with 3 (right) and 2 (left) spines on lower margin, upper margin

strongly convex; carpus unarmed, carinate on upper margin;

propodus 2.8 times as long as deep, deepest at midpoint, with

carinate upper and lower margins, almost folded over on

upper; fixed finger 0.3 length of propodus, with proximal blunt

tooth on cutting edge, more prominent on left; gape slight,

without long spiniform setae laterally; dactylus cutting edge

concave proximally, blunt. Pereopod 2 merus-propodus with

lower marginal rows of long setae; carpus 0.6 length of merus;

propodus as long as carpus, without setal-row; fixed finger

cutting edge with numerous contiguous spiniform setae;

dactylus longer than fixed finger, straight. Pereopod 3 propodus

1.3 times as long as wide, upper and lower margins convex,

posterior face densely setose, the whole forming a shallow

oval dish-like surface, without setal-row; dactylus broad.

Pereopod 4 propodus 1.8 times as long as wide, without setal-

row; dactylus broad. Pereopod 5 propodus with short fixed

finger; dactylus curved, about 3 times as long as fixed finger,

distally rounded.

Pleopods 1 of male 2-articled, second article 4 times as

long as wide, with medial lobe bearing minute hooks. Pleopod

2 missing. Pleopod 3 endopod 3.8 times as long as wide;

appendix interna 10 times as long as wide; exopod twice as

long as wide, ovate. Pleopods 4 and 5 essentially similar to

pleopod 3.

Uropodal endopod with anterior margin weakly convex,

ending by curving to rounded posterior margin, 1.3 times as

long as wide; exopod with shallow concave anterior margin,

apically rounded, posterior margin broadly lobed, 1.3 times as

long as wide; with uneven robust setae among many plumose

setae. Telson 1.1 times as long as wide, tapering to truncate

apex beyond constriction one-third way along.

Distribution. Western Australia, 35°S, 117°'E, 419-460 m.

Etymology. For Alan Williams, CSIRO Marine Laboratories,

Hobart, promoter and organiser of the much-appreciated

Voyages of Discovery research program, especially in Western

Australia.

Remarks. Tethisea alanwilliamsi differs from T. indica Poore,

1994 and T. mindoro Poore, 1997 in the absence of strong

spiniform setae in the gape of the cheliped. The outline of the

rostrum in dorsal view is intermediate between that of the

described species; the cheliped is more robust and its fingers

not of their attenuating acute form.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to many colleagues from CSIRO Marine and

Atmospheric Research for their contributions to the Voyages

of Discovery research program. We thank Nic Bax for help in

securing funds, Rudy Kloser for his part in leadership of the

surveys, and Mark Lewis, and Karen Gowlett-Holmes for

help with gear and dealing with samples while on board FRV

Southern Surveyor. We acknowledge the Commonwealth

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population

and Communities, and the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans

Flagship for financial support and the field and laboratory

components of the Voyages of Discovery program. This work

has been funded through the National Environmental

Research Program (NERP) program, an Australian

Government initiative supporting world class, public good

research. The NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub is a

collaborative partnership between the University of Tasmania,

CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Geoscience Australia,

Australian Institute of Marine Science, Museum Victoria,

Charles Darwin University and the University of Western

Australia (www.nerpmarine.edu.au). We thank Suzanne

Horner, Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery, Darwin,

for facilitating a loan.

Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea)

103

Figure 3. Tethisea alanwilliamsi sp. nov. Holotype, NMV J55604. a, habitus, b, c, anterior carapace, antennules, antennae, in lateral and dorsal

views, d, antennules, antennae, in ventral view, e, telson (long marginal setae not shown, marginal robust setae in detail) and uropods (marginal

setae not shown), f, maxilliped 3. g, h, left and right chelipeds. Scale bar applies to habitus only.

104

G.C.B. Poore and D.J. Collins

Figure 4. Tethisea alanwilliamsi sp. nov. Holotype, NMV J55604. a-d, pereopods 2-5. e, f, male pleopods 1, 3.

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Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73:107-115 (2015) Published 2015

ISSN 1447-2546 (Print) 1447-2554 (On-line)

http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/

C. H. McLennan (‘Mallee Bird’) and his Aboriginal informant Jowley: The source

of early records of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis in Victoria?

Peter Menkhorst 1 ’ 2 * and Edward Ryan 23

1 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 123

Brown St, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 (peter.menkhorst@delwp.vic.gov.au)

2 Museum Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Victoria 3000

3 History Department, LaTrobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Victoria 3086 (eamonn_dearg@bigpond.com)

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: peter.menkhorst@delwp.vic.gov.au

Abstract Menkhorst, P. and Ryan, E. 2015. C. H. McLennan (‘Mailee Bird’) and his Aboriginal informant Jowley: The source of early

records of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis in Victoria? Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 107-115.

Historical records of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis in north-western Victoria have not always been

accepted as valid despite prominent contemporary ornithologists accepting them. We present new supporting information

gleaned from newspaper articles written under the pseudonym ‘Mallee Bird’ published in national and local newspapers in

the early 20th century. ‘Mallee Bird’ was Charles H. McLennan, a bushman and well-regarded ornithologist who worked on

pastoral runs established among the terminal lakes of the Wimmera River in the Big Desert of north-western Victoria. We

also provide biographical details of a local Aboriginal man, Jowley, identified by McLennan as his informant about the nest

site and clutch size of the Night Parrot. We provide evidence that McLennan and Jowley were known to each other and

probably worked together on cattle runs in the Hopetoun-Pine Plains region around the turn of the 19th-20th century.

McLennan and Jowley’s observations of Night Parrot calls, habitat use, breeding and flight are some of the earliest published

natural history of this most mysterious of Australian birds. They mostly corroborate other contemporary accounts and

concur with preliminary findings of current research on the species in south-west Queensland. The relationship between

McLennan and Jowley is one of the few documented Victorian examples of aboriginal i nf ormation being incorporated into

European ornithological knowledge. McLennan’s support and encouragement of ornithological expeditions to the Wonga

Lake-Pine Plains area was pivotal in having the area declared the first National Park in the Murray Mallee region.

Keywords Night Parrot, Pezoporus occidentalis, historical records. Aboriginal information, Wimmera District, Mallee region, Victoria

Introduction

The Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis is one of the most

mysterious of Australia’s vertebrates. Few confirmed sightings

of the species were made during the 20 th century, and none

involved repeat sightings at a single locality. There are only 24

Night Parrot specimens in the world’s museums (Forshaw et

al. 1976), the two most recent resulting from the chance finding

of corpses beside roads in south-west Queensland (Boles et al.

1994; McDougall et al. 2009). In July 2013, renowned bushman

John Young revealed the first ever photographs of a Night

Parrot taken at an undisclosed location in south-west

Queensland. Young’s discovery has provided the first

opportunity for field study of this elusive species since the

work of F.W. Andrews in the 1870s (Andrews 1883; Murphy

2013, 2015; Pyke and Ehrlich 2014).

In the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, finding the Night

Parrot appears to have been something of a focus of Victorian

ornithologists (see below). However, the basis of the belief that

the species was, or had been, present in north-western Victoria

has never been clear, perhaps leading some Victorian authorities

to discount the records. The Night Parrot was not included in a

list of Victorian bird species published in 1884 (Forbes-Leith

and Campbell 1884), or in a list of additions and emendations

published a decade later (Anon 1894). The first published record

of the presence of the Night Parrot in Victoria is Campbell

(1897), and the species was recognized as part of the Victorian

fauna in 1908 (Leach no date). Leach (1911) also listed Victoria

as being within the Night Parrot’s distribution, however,

reference to Victoria was dropped from later editions of Leach’s

book that were edited by Charles Barrett. McKean (1959)

relegated the species to a list of ‘Doubtful and erroneous

records’, as did Wheeler (1967, page 77) and it was not mentioned

by Harold Tarr in a published list of the birds of Wyperfeld

National Park that he prepared for the Victorian National Parks

Authority (Tarr 1967). However, as pointed out by Forshaw

(1969,1970), records from adjacent parts of South Australia and

New South Wales provide support for the presence of the Night

108

P. Menkhorst and E. Ryan

Parrot in the region in the late 19 th century, and Emison et al.

(1987) reinstated the species to the Victorian faunal list.

While records based on historical sightings can arguably

never be fully verified, an examination of the historical setting

and biographical details of the observer(s) can provide

important anecdotal information and supplementary evidence

to inform decisions about the veracity of historical records.

Here we discuss newspaper articles published in 1908 and

1913 that shed light on the origin of reports of the Night Parrot

in the region of the terminal lakes of the Wimmera River in

north-western Victoria. We provide brief biographies of the

key observers and correspondents and reassess the historical

significance of the Victorian observations of this mysterious

species. We also highlight another newspaper article that

provides an insight into the intensity of survey for the Night

Parrot in north-western Victoria in the early 20 th century.

Methods

We searched the natural history and ornithological literature

for records of the Night Parrot in Victoria. In addition, the

recent availability of searchable pdf files of the pages of local

newspapers and magazines from throughout Australia (Trove

database, National Library of Australia website) has made this

largely untapped source of historical wildlife observations

easily accessible to the ecological historian (Abbott 2008). We

used Trove to search for mentions of the Night Parrot in

Victoria by searching on the key words ‘Night Parrot’ and

‘Night Parakeet’. We also examined the archives of the Royal

Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU), held in the State

Library of Victoria, and consulted publications on the history

of the RAOU (Dickison 1932, 1951; Robin 2001) in an attempt

to ascertain whether the search for the Night Parrot in Victoria

was a formal project of that organization.

We also utilised Trove to search for biographical materials

on Charles McLennan and on a local Aboriginal man, Jowley,

who provided details of Night Parrot natural history to

McLennan. However, the biographical background of Jowley

was mostly elucidated from genealogical records located as

part of Ryan’s ongoing doctoral research on relations between

Aboriginal and European people in north-western Victoria in

the colonial period.

Results

Natural history journals

The eight reports of the Night Parrot in north-western Victoria

during the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries all involve second¬

hand, anecdotal information. Only two of them provide any

details about the provenance and location of the records and

six of them seem to refer to the same un-named source.

Relevant parts of these eight published reports are transcribed

below, in chronological sequence.

Campbell (1897):

‘Night Parakeet ( Geopsittacus occidentalis )

It has been reported that this remarkable parrot has been

seen in the Mallee. Whether it has always existed in that

locality, or whether it has been driven there by the recent

severe drought experienced in its more central domains, is a

matter for conjecture.’

Campbell (1901 p 660):

‘the bird has been observed in the Wimmera district,

Victoria, where it was reported a nest containing five eggs was

found in some porcupine grass.’

French (1901):

‘The rare Night Parakeet, Geopsittacus occidentalis,

exists here but we were unable to find any specimens.’

Mattingley (1909):

‘The Night Parrot, Geopsittacus occidentalis, used to be

seen by the aboriginals at Wonga years ago. It lays five to six

eggs in the spinifex.’

Howe and Tregellas (1914):

‘Our primary object was to obtain skins of the Night-

Parrot ( Geopsittacus occidentalis ). It is supposed that this

form is nearly extinct, but Mr. Scarce has met it twice, in

different localities, some 70 miles apart - a few miles further

north than we reached in September, and again some 12 miles

south of Kow Plains.

Campbell (1915):

‘Night-Parrot ( Geopsittacus occidentalis ). - Being a

nocturnal species, this Parrot was always scarce, or was rarely

seen, although its habitat extended from North-West Victoria

to North-West Australia.’ ‘...while we know that Victorian

field observers, during excursions to the north-west corner of

their State, which the Night-Parrot used to frequent, also failed

to trace it.’

Howe (1933):

Recounts that in September 1913 Mr J. J. Scarce ‘paid a

visit to a certain spot some ten miles north-west of Bell-Bird to

have a look for the Night Parrot ( Geopsittacus occidentalis).’’

[‘Bell-Bird’ is Bellbird Bore, located near the junction of

Bellbird Bore Road and Rockhole Road (34°54' 22" S; 141°

02'32" E) at the south-west edge of the Sunset Country].

Campbell, A.G. (1934):

A.J. Campbell’s son, A.G. Campbell, repeated the

Wimmera River nest record: ‘The Night Parrot ( Geopsittacus

occidentalis ), the eggs of which were seen many years ago in

a belt of spinifex on the Wimmera River, Victoria, and which

has not been recorded in that State for many years, is known

on the spinifex fringe of the western mallee.’

Trove database

Our search of the Trove database revealed a further five

references to the Night Parrot in north-western Victoria. The

first is another vague reference by A.J. Campbell to the

presence of the species in the Wimmera District (Campbell

1898) and it is not considered further here. The other four

provide new and interesting information: three were written

by ‘Mallee Bird’, and the fourth refers to an expedition to

north-western Victoria aimed at collecting specimens of the

Night Parrot.

Early records of the Night Parrot in Victoria

109

‘Mallee Bird’ was the pseudonym of Charles H. McLennan

[sometimes rendered M’Lennan] (1854-1915), a regular

contributor of natural history articles to newspapers and

magazines in the early 20 th century (Howe 1909; Mattingley

1909; Whittell 1954; Kloot 1995), including long articles in

The Australasian and various regional newspapers, as well as

contributions to Donald MacDonald’s ‘Nature Notes’ in The

Argus newspaper. During the 1890s and early 1900s, McLennan

worked as a farmhand and dingo trapper on isolated and short¬

lived sheep and cattle runs that had been established on the

system of usually-dry lake beds at the termination of the

Wimmera River, surrounded by the extensive sand dune

country carrying mallee heath vegetation known as the Big

Desert. Based on his writings, McLennan travelled widely

through north-western Victoria, on horseback and on foot,

including north through the Sunset Country to the Murray

River and south though settled districts to the Horsham area.

McLennan’s Night Parrot reports

Between April 1908 and August 1913, McLennan published

three articles that mention the Night Parrot in the context of

north-western Victoria, including both the Big Desert (Pine

Plains) and the Sunset Country (Koorlong Tank). Here we

reproduce in full and in chronological sequence, the paragraphs

concerning the Night Parrot.

Mallee Bird (1908):

‘One of the most interesting of the birds that haunts the

spinifex tracts in Sunset country is the now rare night

parrot, whose plaintive whistling note heard in the still of

the night makes one in a sense of his solitude. They are

unfortunately becoming extinct. Some years ago hundreds

of domestic cats were turned loose in the Mallee, in the

hope that they would kill off the rabbits. They evidently

preferred a bird diet and the night parrots, occupying in

day time old rabbit burrows, fell easy prey to them. The

ever increasing fox is another enemy, and when I find

feathers or remains of the night parrot there are generally

fox or cat traces in the loose soil. On the wing the night

parrot takes short, quick flights, dropping suddenly like a

snipe. According to Jowley, an old aboriginal of this

district, they live in a tussock of turpentine grass and lay

from four to six eggs, rather round in shape’.

Mallee Bird (1913a):

‘Where hundreds of acres are covered with a 6 ft growth of

dense spinifex, the queer night parrot has its home. You

hear his strange whistling cry at night, and so look for him

by day.’

Mallee Bird (1913b):

‘This bird, as its name implies, is nocturnal in its habits.

The tall dense spinifex grass is where this strange bird

makes its home and often throughout the night it utters a

plaintive whistling cry. Between thirty and forty years ago

[i.e. roughly 1873-1883] they were found in the spinifex

grass on the sand ridges around Pine Plains. The last I saw

of the birds was some eight years ago [i.e. approx. 1905],

between Sunset Country and Koorlong [Koorlong is a

locality west of Red Cliffs and south-west of Mildura,

south of Mildura airport]. Of late years the bird has

become somewhat of a ‘rara avis’, mainly through the

liberation in the mallee of many hundreds of domestic cats

to combat against the rabbits. So far as the rabbit was

concerned the cat was a failure, pussy being too good an

epicure to dine on bunny while birds were so easily caught

and were more to her taste. And now, of late years, the fox

coming on the scene, I am afraid that the parrot is almost

extinct in these parts. Being terrestrial in their habits they

are a difficult bird to flush in the daytime without the aid of

a good dog. So far I have not heard of the nest being found,

but the information I received from the old men aboriginals

was that the birds build their nests in the dense spinifex

grass. The plumage on the upper part is olive green, the

head and neck have a black speck in the middle of each

feather. The breast is olive green, with black spots and

irregular bands, the abdomen and under tail coverts

sulphur-yellow. Plump in structure and short tail, toe-nails

short and curved.’

We are able to date the first realization by Victorian

ornithologists that the Night Parrot occurred within that State

as sometime in the three years between the publications of

Anon (1894), which made no mention of the species, and

Campbell (1897) which included it. We do not know when

McLennan discussed the Night Parrot with Jowley (see

McLennan 1908) and presumably with other ‘old men

aboriginals’ but McLennan (1913b) indicates that the timing of

the sightings at Pine Plains was sometime in the 1870s to early

1880s. McLennan’s last claimed sighting was in approximately

1905, north of the Sunset Country towards Koorlong Tank.

Scarce’s Night Parrot observations

The second set of Night Parrot reports are those of Mr J. J.

Scarce (in Howe and Tregellas 1914). These relate to entirely

different locations to those of McLennan, one in the northern

Big Desert, 65 km wnw of Wonga Lake, the other ~ 70 km

further north again in the Sunset Country. From 1908 to 1914,

J. J. Scarce led a Victorian Government bore sinking team in

the unsurveyed northern portion of the Victorian border lands,

searching for sources of ground water that would allow further

agricultural development. In so doing, his party lived for

extended periods deep in the mallee, far from settled regions

(Howe and Tregellas 1914). He reported Night Parrots at two

locations; the first ‘about 42 miles [65 km] north of Murray ville

near the South Australian border’, and the second ‘12 miles [19

km] south of Kow Plains’ [also known as Cow Plains, the

homestead is at the present-day township of Cowangie, 20 km

east of Murrayville].

Scarce’s descriptions of the behaviour and habitat preferences

of the birds are entirely plausible for the Night Parrot:

‘In both instances the birds were in thick and large

porcupine grass (Triodia), and were seen feeding out on

the edges of the grass, in each case where the grass spreads

out on to small plains. There were round burrows right

through each clump, and Mr Scarce supposed that these

were made by the birds as a means of escape.’

110

P. Menkhorst and E. Ryan

Expeditions by Melbourne-based ornithologists

The reports of both McLennan and Scarce stimulated

expeditions by ornithologists keen to obtain specimens or

photographs of the Night Parrot (French 1901; Howe 1909;

Mattingley 1909; Howe and Tregellas 1914). Anon (1917)

refers to a party of RAOU members setting off on an expedition

in search of the Night Parrot, apparently the eighth such

expedition in eight years (i.e. 1910-1917):

‘Today Mr H. A. Purnell will leave Geelong to join with

four other members of the Royal Australian Ornithologists

Union for a fortnight’s encampment in the mallee. Their

destination is Kow Plains, which is reached by train to

Boinka, then by vehicle through the mallee. Mr Purnell is

taking with him 200 slides to secure pictures of bird life.

The main object of the party’s visit is to try to discover a

specimen of the night parrot. Opinions differ as to whether

this bird is extinct. It is fifty years since Gould discovered

it 1 , and there is no authenticated record of one being seen

since. For seven years the union has had a party in the

Mallee in quest of the bird, and this year they are to make

another attempt.’

Presumably, these annual expeditions are the unsuccessful

searches referred to by Howe and Tregellas (1914). Campbell

(1915) states that ‘Victorian field observers, during excursions

to the north-west corner of their State, which the Night-Parrot

used to frequent, also failed to trace it.’

RAOU archives

A search of the RAOU archives held in the State Library of

Victoria (La Trobe Australian Manuscripts Collection

MS11437), and the literature (Dickinson 1932, 1951; Robin

2001) failed to trace any mention of these expeditions,

suggesting that they were privately organized and not official

RAOU business.

Discussion

The first five reports of the Night Parrot in Victoria in the

natural history literature (Campbell 1897, 1898, 1901; French

1901; Mattingley 1909) appear to refer to the same undisclosed

source and to the localities ‘Wonga, and Wimmera District’.

Wonga and Wonga Lake are well-known features of the lower

Wimmera River system in the Big Desert (now within

Wyperfeld National Park). The reference to the Wimmera

district (Campbell 1901) likely refers to the same reports and

location, but the author may be using the term in the

contemporary sense of the Wimmera Pastoral District which

extended from the Grampians Ranges in the south to the

Murray River in the north, encompassing most of north¬

western Victoria. The Wimmera River passes through about

half of this region on its way to its ephemeral terminal lake

system in the Big Desert, of which Wonga Lake is part. This

lack of understanding of contemporary district nomenclature

1 Gould did not discover the Night Parrot, it was first collected by the

explorer John MacDouall Stuart in 1845; Gould described the species

in 1861 using a specimen collected in 1854 near Mt Farmer, WA as the

type specimen (Gould 1861).

could also be responsible for some later authors dismissing the

Victorian Night Parrot records because the notion of Night

Parrots breeding in the Wimmera District as it is now defined

(as distinct from the Mallee District), seems less plausible than

in the Big Desert. These ‘Wimmera’ records were, however,

accepted in the RAOU’s historical atlas (Blakers et al. 1984 p.

665) but were mapped using the modern definition of the

Wimmera and are therefore placed approximately one degree

of latitude too far south. Having said that, prior to large-scale

land clearing, fingers of Mallee scrub ran southwards into

what is now known as the Wimmera District, as far south as

Dimboola (Everett 1869). It is these southern Mallee outliers

that were visited by Campbell (1885) - they were easily

accessible to Melbourne-based ornithologists because they

were close to the Melbourne-Adelaide railway.

McLennan worked on pastoral runs in this region including

Pine Plains Station, centred on Wirrengren Plain, and Wonga

Lake Station to the south in the Lake Brambruk-Wonga Lake

area (French 1901). Wonga Lake Station originally formed

part of a larger Pine Plains run and after the subdivision both

runs had common owners at times and drew on the same pool

of rural labourers. At the turn of the 20 th century both these

stations were leased by Mr S. Poulton (Kenyon 1914, page

146) who employed McLennan as a dingo trapper amongst

other duties (French 1901). Poulton’s ‘home’ station was

Cambacanya Station to the east and some 10 miles (16 km)

north of the township of Hopetoun (Kenyon 1914). By this

period, McLennan had worked in the remote areas of north¬

west Victoria for many years. In 1900, on his volunteering for

the Boer War Bushmen’s Corps, he was praised in the Horsham

Times as ‘an all round bushman’ (Anon 1900). In earlier years,

McLennan was a noted athlete and played football for

Norwood in South Australia before pursuing his bush life

from a family base at Horsham (Anon 1915).

Around the turn of the 20th century, several notable

Melbourne ornithologists made expeditions to the Big Desert

region in search of rare and little-known birds and their eggs.

Often, they travelled by train to Hopetoun, to which the

railway had been extended in 1894. Here they were met by

Poulton and taken by horse and cart to Wonga Lake Station

where McLennan acted as a host and guide in this isolated and

inhospitable country (see for example Mattingley 1909). A

sketch map of the country between Hopetoun and Pine Plains

prepared by McLennan for his visitors is held by the State

Library of Victoria and is reproduced in Durham (2001, page

24). In September 1908, McLennan met F.E. Howe and J.A.

Ross at Pinnaroo, South Australia, to lead them on a collecting

trip to Kow Plains (Howe 1909). Mattingley (1932) notes that

his first journey to Pine Plains came at the invitation of Charles

McLennan 2 . He also states that these expeditions had such an

effect on himself and his companions that they began to

campaign to have the area around Pine Plains declared a

National Park, and this was achieved in 1909 (Durham 2001).

2 It was presumably through these contacts that McLennan was

appointed the first ranger at Victoria’s first National Park at Wilson’s

Promontory in 1909, before clashing with park management and

returning to the Mallee at the end of 1910.

Early records of the Night Parrot in Victoria

111

A further link between Victorian ornithologists and the

Hopetoun region is the fact that J.A. Leach was the teacher at

Goyura, 10 km south-east of Hopetoun, in the early 1890s

(Whittell 1954; Taylor 1996). Leach likely became acquainted

with McLennan, and possibly Jowley, at this time, and could

have heard of the Night Parrot sightings directly from them.

Leach later made an important contribution to the Royal

Australasian Ornithologists Union, being Editor of The Emu

from 1914 to 1924 and Chairman of the committee that

produced the second Checklist of Australian Birds

(Whittell 1954).

Regardless of this early enthusiasm for finding the Night

Parrot in the Wonga Lake area, by 1918 the prevailing opinion

seems to have been that the Night Parrot was no longer present in

the region (Campbell 1915; Mattingley 1918). Indeed, Mathews

(1917) had declared the species extinct. In 1933, however, an

expedition of ‘eight well known men’ led by A.S. Kenyon started

a search for the Night Parrot which was to encompass Alice

Springs, western Queensland and Birdsville, by striking west

through the Mallee country from Ouyen (Anon 1933). Even at

this late date it seems that what was a serious and large-scale hunt

for the bird could not ignore the Victorian Mallee completely.

McLennan’s notes provide compelling evidence that he did

have personal field experience of the Night Parrot. Indeed, his

notes are among the first published observations of the natural

history of the species, being preceded only by Andrews (1883).

Key elements of Night Parrot morphology, behavior and habitat

mentioned by McLennan include:

1. His description of plumage and body structure (Mallee

Bird 1913b) is detailed, perceptive and accurate,

highlighting key identification features, as seen by a field

observer, rather than the detailed plumage descriptions

usually provided by museum-based ornithologists, or

artists working from dead specimens. He claims to have

found feathers and remains of Night Parrots (Mallee Bird

1908) 3 and this could accountfor his detailed understanding

of plumage colour patterns. It is also possible that

McLennan had examined a museum specimen of a Night

Parrot and that this could have influenced his description

of the external morphology of the species. The first of

three specimens of the Night Parrot in Museum Victoria

was accessioned into the collection in July 1876 4 and so

would have been available to McLennan had he wished to

examine it. The relevant curator during McLennan’s time

was J.A. Kershaw, Curator of the Zoological Collection

1899-1913 (Whittell 1954; McEvey 1975), and active in the

RAOU at the time. McLennan certainly had indirect

contact with Kershaw as he sent a Phascogale skin to the

Museum for identification in 1905. Given his reference to

finding ‘feathers or remains’ (Mallee Bird 1908), however,

3 As have Murphy and Young at the south-west Queensland site (pers

comm.)

4 This specimen was collected by F.W. Andrews during the 1875 Lake

Eyre Expedition conducted by the South Australian Museum. It was

sent by F.G. Waterhouse, Curator of the South Australian Museum, to

the National Museum of Victoria in exchange for a pair of Blue-billed

Ducks! (Forshaw et al. 1976)

viewing a specimen at the Museum would largely have

served to confirm his previous field knowledge of the bird.

2. McLennan’s descriptions of the habitat preference -

‘where hundreds of acres are covered with a 6 foot growth

of dense spinifex’ (Mallee Bird 1913a), and ‘the tall, dense

spinifex grass is where this strange bird makes its home’

(Mallee Bird 1913b) - broadly concur with other published

accounts in highlighting the importance of Triodia as a

daytime refuge and food source.

3. The descriptions of the nest and eggs provided by the

local aboriginals concur with those of other observers,

and were preceded only by Andrews (1883) and Keartland

(in North 1898).

4. McLennan’s descriptions of the call - ‘plaintive whistling

note heard in the still of the night’ (Mallee Bird 1908),

‘you hear his strange whistling cry at night’ (Mallee Bird

1913a), ‘often throughout the night it utters a plaintive

whistling cry’(Mallee Bird 1913b) - fit well with other

published descriptions: ‘a long drawn-out mournful

whistle’ (Bourgoin in Wilson 1937); ‘a sweet, low, two-

tone whistle’ (McDonald in Wilson 1937). The only

person to have closely studied Night Parrot vocalisations,

Dr S. Murphy, when asked to comment on McLennan’s

description of the call stated (S. Murphy in lit. 11 March

2015) ‘I think ‘plaintive’ is a good word to describe the

two-note call, and his description does not contradict

anything I know to be true’. Murphy also confirmed that

Night Parrots do, under certain circumstances, call many

times throughout the night (Murphy 2015). McLennan’s

descriptions are, in fact, the first published to provide any

level of detail about the whistle call of the Night Parrot,

and therefore could not be repetition of earlier published

reports. Only three descriptions of Night Parrot

vocalisations were published before McLennan’s: the first

describes calls given by a captive Night Parrot held in

London Zoological Gardens for a short time in 1867 and

early 1868 (Murie 1868) - a ‘double note, harsh and loud’

and a ‘faint whistle’; the second refers to a ‘whistling note’

said to be onomatopoeic with an aboriginal word for the

species - ‘Myrrlumbling’ (Andrews 1883) and to a ‘very

peculiar croaking note of alarm whilst at the water, which

much resembles the loud croak of a frog.’; the third refers

to what is presumably an alarm call given when flushed -

‘a short sharp note given several times as they go’

(Keartland in North 1898 page 171).

5. It is clear from his reference to the flight of the Night Parrot

(Mallee Bird 1908) that he was not merely familiar with its

‘feathers and remains’ but also its flight behaviour - ‘On

the wing the night parrot takes short, quick flights,

dropping suddenly like a snipe’. This observation is

corroborated by other observers (North 1898; McGilp

1931; Kershaw 1943; S. Murphy pers comm). It is also

similar to the flight behavior of the other member of the

genus Pezoporus, the Ground Parrot (Menkhorst pers obs).

We suggest that the reports of the Night Parrot from the

terminal lakes of the Wimmera River system (but not those of

Scarce) all emanate from this one source - McLennan’s

observations in the last decades of the 19 th century and first

112

P. Menkhorst and E. Ryan

decade of the 20 th century, combined with information gleaned

from his conversations with elderly aboriginal men from the

region, including Jowley. In particular, it seems that the

aboriginal men were the source of McLennan’s information on

nesting site and clutch size. It seems reasonable to assume that

the source for Mattingley’s (1909) reference to sightings by

aboriginals in the Wonga Lake area is the same as McLennan’s

specific reference to Jowley and general reference to ‘old men

aboriginals’. Because it was McLennan who lived and worked

in the local area, he is most likely to have been the person who

gained the information first hand from the aboriginals. Jowley

is known to have lived for a period in a hut at Wonga (Taylor

1996) and so would have been well known to McLennan.

Indeed, Taylor (1996) refers to a report of a weekend horseback

excursion to Wonga by seven Hopetoun residents led by ‘the

Mallee bushman and ornithologist Charles McLennan’ which

encountered Jowley (and his cattle).

Howe (1933) provides a lead to the possible location of

Scarce’s northernmost observation, previously described as

‘about 42 miles north of Murray ville near the South Australian

border’ (Howe and Tregellas 1914). Howe (1933) relates that

shortly after 20 September 1913, after Howe and Tregellas had

left Scarce’s camp to return to Melbourne, Scarce made a

specific visit to a ‘spot some 10 miles north-west of Bell-Bird

to have a look for the Night Parrot (Geopsittacus occidentalis ).’

It is plausible that this spot was the location of Scarce’s earlier

observation - it fits with the statement in Howe and Tregellas

(1914) that the site was ‘a few miles further north than we

reached in September’ [1913]. If so, its whereabouts can be

more precisely defined - ‘Bell-Bird’ is Bellbird Bore, located

in what is now Berook State Forest near the junction of

Bellbird Bore Road and Rockhole Road (34°54' 22" S; 141° 02'

32" E). It seems likely that this was the campsite used by

Scarce’s Government boring party and visited by Howe and

Tregellas. Ten miles north-west of Bellbird Bore is roughly at

34° 47' S; 141° 02' E, assuming Scarce’s ‘spot’ was in Victoria,

as implied by Howe and Tregellas (1914). This location is

about 57 km nnw of Murrayville, compared to the estimate of

Howe and Tregellas (1914) of 65 km (42 miles) north of

Murrayville and within 4.8 km (3 miles) of the South

Australian border.

Also known as Peter McGinnis, named for one of the

squatters who established the Lake Corrong run, Jowley

(7-1911) (Fig 1) is a comparatively well-known Aboriginal

from the Yarrikuluk clan of the Wergaia language group

which inhabited the Hopetoun region. His home country came

from his father Mircham, known to Europeans as Tom, while

he would also have been familiar with his mother Biddy’s

country of Morton Plains. His knowledge of country extended

to the west Wimmera district of Benyeo, home country of his

first wife Eliza, and south-west across the South Australian

border to Mosquito Plains, from whence he brought his

daughter to the Ebenezer Mission at Antwerp in 1867

(Hartmann and Hartmann 1864-1873). Jowley would have also

visited his second wife Esther’s country at Lalbert in the

south-east Mallee. As parts of each of these areas originally

supported spinifex mallee, Jowley may have had multiple

opportunities to observe the Night Parrot over many years.

Beyond his personal direct experience, Jowley spent extended

periods of time at Ebenezer Mission with other Aboriginals

from the region. McLennan may have encountered Jowley

when they both worked on local pastoral stations, or he may

have met him at Ebenezer as he would have passed it regularly

on visits to his family at Horsham.

Ebenezer Mission was visited by members of the Field

Naturalists Club in the 1890s (Le Souef 1893), including some

who would later search for the Night Parrot with McLennan. It

was also visited in the 1890s by ethnographer R. H. Mathews

(Mathews, R.H. no date). While Mathews’ notes on his visit

include the Aboriginal names of many birds and animals, they

do not include any reference to the Night Parrot, suggesting

that he, as with the field naturalists, was not at the time aware

of it in the region. These visits do suggest, however, an

exploration of traditional Aboriginal knowledge by developing

European sciences, an exploration pursued in a more intimate

manner by the contact and discussions between Charles

McLennan and Jowley. While they set the scene for the pursuit

of the Night Parrot in Victoria in the early years of the

twentieth century, these interactions also provided the basis

for the broader development of ornithology in Australia as

Charles McLennan became an important contributor to the

publication of the seminal ‘Birds of Australia’ by Gregory M.

Mathews (Mathews 1910-1927) (Anon. 1915), son of the

aforementioned visitor to Ebenezer Mission, R. H. Mathews.

McLennan was also the first to record another cryptic mallee

bird when, in April 1906, he drew attention to the presence of

emu-wrens in the Triodia mallee of the Pine Plains area

(MacDonald 1906, Howe 1933). At the request of A.J.

Campbell, McLennan collected a male which became the type

specimen of the newly described Mallee Emu-wren Stipiturus

mallee (Campbell 1908).

McLennan was an early member of the Royal Australian

Ornithologists Union (RAOU archives) and was likely to have

conveyed his Night Parrot information to fellow members during

visits to Melbourne. For example, McLennan was present at a

reception held for G. M. Mathews at the Royal Botanic Gardens,

Melbourne, by the RAOU Council on 10 March 1914 (minutes of

100 th meeting of Council of RAOU) (Fig 2). This reception was

also attended by others who feature in this story including A. J.

Campbell, L. G. Chandler, Dr J. A. Leach and T. Tregellas.

McLennan’s reports seem to have been widely accepted by

his contemporaries, including A. J. Campbell (1897, 1901,

1915), French (1901), Howe and Tregellas (1914), Mattingley

(1909), Leach (1908,1911) and A. G. Campbell (1934). Further,

his reports led to a series of expeditions to the terminal lakes

of the Wimmera River during the first decade of the 20 th

century aimed at locating the species and collecting specimens

of it. These expeditions provided the initial impetus for the

campaign to have the Wonga Lake - Pine Plains area declared

a National Park.

In the second decade of the 20 th century, the reports by

Scarce led to the focus shifting further north to the Kow Plains

area where a party of birders apparently searched annually

during spring of the years 1910 to 1917 (Anon 1917). Howe and

Tregellas mounted a more determined expedition and

accompanied Scarce to the sites of his observations in the far

Early records of the Night Parrot in Victoria

113

west of the Sunset Country. Their comments (Howe and

Tregellas 1914) indicate that Scarce was an astute and

knowledgeable bird observer who was able to direct Howe and

Tregellas to sites where they could collect sought-after species

such as Chestnut Quail-thrush, Shy Heathwren and Southern

Scrub-robin. Further, at around the same time, White (1913)

reported a sighting of the Night Parrot at Brown’s Well, South

Australia. This locality, near the present-day town of Paruna, is

only ‘about 22 km west of Scarce’s ‘spot’ 10 km north-west of

Bellbird Bore. We see no reason to question the validity of

Scarce’s Night Parrot observations, despite the lack of a voucher

specimen, which Mathews (1917) regarded as necessary before

adding Victoria to its distribution. Of note is the close proximity

of Scarce’s early-20 th century observation ‘12 miles (19 km)

south of Kow Plains’ with the mid-20 th century reports of Evan

Walton of Walpeup at Ross Spring, some 12 km south-east of

Kow Plains homestead (Menkhorst and Isles 1981).

We believe that the evidence collated here strongly

supports the presence of the Night Parrot in both the Big

Desert and Sunset Country of north-western Victoria between

the 1870s and early 1900s. We also show that reports of the

Night Parrot in this region were instrumental in the

development of ornithology in the region, and in the

development of the current extensive conservation reserve

system in the Victorian Mallee.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Penny Olsen for generously sharing her historical

research into the Night Parrot. Dr Steve Murphy generously

shared his unique field observations and data on vocalisations

of the Night Parrot. Kym Schramm of Parks Victoria advised

on the precise location of Bellbird Bore. Dr K. Smith, Museum

Victoria, kindly provided information on Night Parrot skins

held by that institution. Michael Silver prepared the digital

version of Figure 2 from a photograph in the L.G. Chandler

collection and its publication was kindly approved by Mary

Chandler. Phil Taylor generously provided a scan of the

portrait of Jowley. Andrew Bennett, Richard Loyn (as referee),

Penny Olsen, Andrew Isles and Craig Morley helped improve

an earlier draft of the manuscript.

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Figure 1. Portrait of

Jowley published in

‘Back to Hopetoun’

(1935), original

source unknown.