Echinoderes ehlersi Zelinka 1913

Echinoderes ehlersi Zelinka, 1913

Table 5

Echinoderes ehlersi Zelinka, 1913: 419–424, pl. 39, figs 6–9.

Echinoderes ehlersi – Zelinka 1928: 237–240, fig. 41.

Non Echinoderes ehlersi – Higgins & Rao 1979: 79–82, fig. 2.

Description

The species was collected and described from Zanzibar, Tanzania, at the African east coast. No type or topotype specimens were available for the present study. The species has not been collected since its description, hence, the present notes are a summary of taxonomically relevant information extracted from Zelinka (1913, 1928).

Small Echinoderes, with a trunk length of 228 µm, and lateral terminal spines reaching ¾ of trunk length. Very short middorsal spines present on segments 4 to 8, not even reaching the pectinate fringes of posterior segment margins, and lateroventral spines on segments 6 to 9. Tubes present in lateroventral positions on segments 2 and 5, and in laterodorsal positions on 10. The presence of glandular cell outlets type 2 in laterodorsal positions on segments 8 and/or 9 are not mentioned in the description, but they could possibly be present. Tergal extensions of segment are 11 short, pointed and well-spaced, and sternal extensions rounded, with ventrolateral seta-like tuft of extended fringe tips. Females with lateral terminal accessory spines. The presence of ventromedial female papillae is not mentioned in the description, but they could possibly be present in ventromedial or ventrolateral positions on some sternal plates.