Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps Selenka 1867

Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps Selenka, 1867

Figure 6, Table 4

Holothuria princeps Selenka, 1867: 332; Deichmann, 1930: 58; Clark, 1933: 101.

Holothuria (Holothuria) princeps.― Panning, 1935: 101.

Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps.― Rowe, 1969: 157; Hendler et al., 1995: 296; Cutress, 1996: 74; Pawson et al., 2010: 39; Martins et al., 2012: 2.

Material examined. Francês Beach, Marechal Deodoro, AL, Brazil, 1 spec. (UFPB.ECH-1557); Bainema, Boipeba, BA, Brazil, 1 spec. (EQMN-463).

Type locality. Florida (Selenka 1867).

Diagnosis. See Pawson et al. (2010: 39).

Description. 2 specimens analyzed, measuring about 120 mm long and 40 mm wide. Body fusiform, slightly curved, flattened ventrally (Fig. 6 A). Body wall thickened, rigid due to the quantity of ossicles. Conspicuous warts of various sizes dorsally, with apical papillae in about two rows in each radius, and various small tube feet scattered irregularly. Ventral tube feet covering the area, arranged in about 3 series of six rows, more numerous in middle part. Mouth subterminal, surrounded by 20 short, peltate tentacles. Color in alcohol brown to light bronze, with some whitish spots and concentric dark circles surrounding the dorsal papillae. Podia light brown with some light brown spots. Tentacles white. Calcareous ring simple, robust. Radial plate square-shaped, 5 mm high and 3 mm wide, with short projections distally. Interradial plate triangular-shaped, 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, united over 1/ 3 of radial plate (Fig. 6 B). Single elongated, slightly oblong polian vesicle, a short stone canal, and a rounded madreporite. Gonads with long, thick, tubules, reaching the posterior part of the body, filling the coelom. Some tubules divided into two. Respiratory trees reaching to about the anterior part of the body, with numerous short branches. Longitudinal muscles thick, undivided. Body wall with buttons of 6 or more holes, some fenestrated, 50–90 µm long and 20–60 µm wide (Fig. 6 E) and perforated rods. Tables of two types, one with multi-perforated disc, 60–100 µm in diameter and 40–50 µm high, several spines along margin and low spires of 4 pillars (Fig. 6 C). The second type, found in the tube feet, bigger, about 130–200 µm diameter and 170–280 µm high, with a thick, perforated disc of a tall and robust spire, with 4 pillars, that ends in a sharp point (Fig. 6 D). Tube feet with perforated rods, 170–300 µm long and 60–100 µm wide (Fig. 6 F) and endplate, about 230 µm diameter. Tentacles with simple rods, 50–170 µm long and 10–25 µm wide. In general, buttons of dorsal region bigger than in ventral region. Tables bigger and higher on the dorsal side, while the perforated rods of the ventral side are larger (Tab. 4).

Geographical distribution. United States (North Carolina, Florida), Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil (Alagoas, Bahia) (Pawson et al. 2010; Martins et al. 2012a), up to 22.5 m deep.

Comments. Preserved specimens are brown or yellow, with some darker spots, mainly in the ventral side. H. (T.) princeps have similarities with Holothuria (Theelothuria) imperator Deichmann, 1930. In the original description Deichmann comment that this species was related to H. (T.) princeps, due the shape of the calcareous ring and similar ossicles. Later Deichmann (1958) removed H. (T.) imperator and Miller & Pawson (1984) synonymized this species with H. (T.) princeps (Pawson et al. 2010). Cutress (1996) described the changes that occur in the external morphology and in the shape of the ossicles as the animals grow, and included in his study the holotype of H. (T.) imperator. He noted some differences in the tables of the two species and suggested that a review of both is necessary. Recently H. (T.) princeps was recorded for the first time along the Brazilian coast by Martins et al. (2012a).

Ecological note. Coral reef.