Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps Selenka 1867

Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps Selenka, 1867

Figure 6 d, 32

Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps.— Hendler et al. 1995: 296, figs 167, 185G,H,I,J; Cutress 1996: 74, Figs. 17–22, 23 A.

Material examined. USNM E16863, Florida, Indian Passage, Feb. 25, 1951, 13m, 7. USNM E17109, Georgia, E of Sapelo Island, R/V Pelican, Sta 197-3,March 15,1940, 60m, 3. USNM E19325, off N.C., 33°35'N, 78°05'W, R/VPierce, Sta 1C, Feb. 11, 1977, 18m, 2. USNM E19471, off Georgia, 31°45'N, 80°28'W, R/V Pierce, Sta 4C, August 25 1977, 16m, 3. USNM E22159, S.C., Florida, off E coast, 31°55'N, 80°19'W, R/ V Pelican, Sta 39, April 27,1956, 22–26m, 2. USNM E22554, Florida, off E coast, 30°28’00”N, 80°50’30”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 200-7, March 27, 1940, 27m. USNM E22530, S.C., 44 miles SE of Charleston, 32°30'N, 79°16'W, R/V Pelican, Sta 182-11, Feb. 4, 1940, 33m. USNM E22564, Georgia, 32°01’30”N, 80°07’30”W, R/ V Pelican, Sta 181-9, Feb 3, 1940, 22m, 2. USNM E22562, Georgia, 31°41’00”N, 80°24’ 30”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 196-2, March 14, 1940, 22m. USNM E22559, Georgia, 30°50’00”N, 80°25’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 180- 3, Feb.2, 1940, 20m. USNM E22565, Georgia, 31°59’30”N, 80°34’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 181-3, Feb. 3, 1940, 15m, 2. USNM E22561, Georgia, 31°11’00”N, 80°52’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 178-6, Jan. 31, 1940, 16m. USNM E2778, S.C., 32°29'N, 79°37'W, R/V Silver Bay, Sta 5725, 20.1–22.9m, 2. USNM E33183, Florida, 29 Nautical miles NE, 30°10'N, 80°49'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta115, April 24,1983, 27.4m, 3. USNM E34094, Florida, 22.5 Nautical Miles ENE, 30°00'N, 80°52'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 114, April 25, 1983, 27m, 9. USNM E34096, Florida, 30°20’06”N, 81°13’12”W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 0 86, May 22, 1986, 18.3 m, 3. USNM E34095, Florida, 30°40’00”N, 81°11’00”W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 0 88, May 22, 1984, 20.1m, 2. SERTC 2127, off Folly Island, SC, 32º20’22”N, 79º32.30'W, 31.1 m, coll. SERTC Staff, April 28 2005. SERTC 2131, off Edisto Island, SC, 32º12.33', 79º42.16'W, 30.5 m, coll. SERTC Staff, April 29 2005.

Diagnosis. Large cylindrical form, up to 300mm. Color in life brown and white, with light ring around base of most dorsal papillae. Body wall thick, strongly contracted in preserved specimens. Podia numerous, scattered over entire body, dorsally as papillae, ventrally as cylindrical tube feet. Ossicles abundant, consisting of irregular tables (45–65 μm) and irregular knobbed buttons (40–80 μm). Large tack-like tables in ends of papillae. Cuvierian organs absent.

Distribution. NC, to E and W FL, Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat. Burrows in sandy mud and shell substrates and seagrass. 0– 73 m.

Remarks. In NMNH also as Holothuria imperator Deichmann, 1930. Cutress (1996) notes that Deichmann (1958) withdrew this species, and Miller & Pawson (1984) synonymized imperator with princeps. Cutress (1996, p.84) believed that the imperator / princeps problem needed to be examined anew.