Figure 6 d, 32
Holothuria (Theelothuria) princeps.— Hendler et al. 1995: 296, figs 167, 185 G,H,I,J; Cutress 1996: 74, Figs. 17–22, 23 A.
Material examined. USNM E 16863, Florida, Indian Passage, Feb. 25, 1951, 13m, 7. USNM E 17109, Georgia, E of Sapelo Island, R/V Pelican, Sta 197 - 3,March 15,1940, 60m, 3. USNM E 19325, off N.C., 33 ° 35 'N, 78 °05'W, R/VPierce, Sta 1 C, Feb. 11, 1977, 18m, 2. USNM E 19471, off Georgia, 31 ° 45 'N, 80 ° 28 'W, R/V Pierce, Sta 4 C, August 25 1977, 16m, 3. USNM E 22159, S.C., Florida, off E coast, 31 ° 55 'N, 80 ° 19 'W, R/ V Pelican, Sta 39, April 27,1956, 22–26m, 2. USNM E 22554, Florida, off E coast, 30 ° 28 ’00”N, 80 ° 50 ’ 30 ”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 200 - 7, March 27, 1940, 27m. USNM E 22530, S.C., 44 miles SE of Charleston, 32 ° 30 'N, 79 ° 16 'W, R/V Pelican, Sta 182 - 11, Feb. 4, 1940, 33m. USNM E 22564, Georgia, 32 °01’ 30 ”N, 80 °07’ 30 ”W, R/ V Pelican, Sta 181 - 9, Feb 3, 1940, 22m, 2. USNM E 22562, Georgia, 31 ° 41 ’00”N, 80 ° 24 ’ 30 ”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 196 - 2, March 14, 1940, 22m. USNM E 22559, Georgia, 30 ° 50 ’00”N, 80 ° 25 ’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 180 - 3, Feb. 2, 1940, 20m. USNM E 22565, Georgia, 31 ° 59 ’ 30 ”N, 80 ° 34 ’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 181 - 3, Feb. 3, 1940, 15m, 2. USNM E 22561, Georgia, 31 ° 11 ’00”N, 80 ° 52 ’00”W, R/V Pelican, Sta 178 - 6, Jan. 31, 1940, 16m. USNM E 2778, S.C., 32 ° 29 'N, 79 ° 37 'W, R/V Silver Bay, Sta 5725, 20.1–22.9m, 2. USNM E 33183, Florida, 29 Nautical miles NE, 30 ° 10 'N, 80 ° 49 'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 115, April 24,1983, 27.4m, 3. USNM E 34094, Florida, 22.5 Nautical Miles ENE, 30 °00'N, 80 ° 52 'W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 114, April 25, 1983, 27m, 9. USNM E 34096, Florida, 30 ° 20 ’06”N, 81 ° 13 ’ 12 ”W, R/V Delaware II, Sta 0 86, May 22, 1986, 18.3 m, 3. USNM E 34095, 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, 32 º 20 ’ 22 ”N, 79 º32.30'W, 31.1 m, coll. SERTC Staff, April 28 2005. SERTC 2131, off Edisto Island, SC, 32 º12.33', 79 º42.16'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.