Cucumella Heding

Genus Cucumella Heding (in Ludwig & Heding, 1935) (restricted herein)

Diagnosis. As for the family.

Type species. Cucumella triplex Ludwig & Heding, 1935 (by original designation).

Type locality. Agulhas Bank, South Africa, 155 m.

Remarks. Heding & Panning (1954) assigned three species to Cucumella: C. triplex Ludwig & Heding, 1935, C. problematica Heding & Panning, 1954 and C. mutans (Joshua, 1914). To this genus was then added C. indonesiae Massin, 1987 and C. decaryi Cherbonnier¸ 1988. Recently, O’Loughlin (2007) assigned C. mutans and three other southern Australian species (two new) to the genus Neoamphicyclus Hickman, 1962, but failed to consider the species C. triplex, C. decaryi, C. indonesiae and C. problematica. With the transfer now of the genus Cucumella with its type species to the Dactylochirotida there remain only three species of which C. decaryi, from its description and figure, appears to undoubtedly represent the southern African stichopodid, Neostichopus grammatus (H.L. Clark, 1923). The remaining two species have dendritic tentacles and hence should also be removed from Cucumella. C. problematica is recorded with 20 tentacles by Heding and Panning and C. indonesiae with 14 (18– 20) by Massin. Since Massin implies a closer relationship between C. problematica and C. indonesiae, perhaps the correct number of tentacles in the latter species is also 20. We suggest that the diagnosis of Neoamphicyclus be further amended to include also forms with 20 tentacles and that both C. problematica and C. indonesiae be assigned to it since in other respects they agree well with the characters of Neoamphicyclus. Both species have radially restricted tube feet, simple calcareous ring with distinctly separate/unfused radial and interradial plates, and body wall tables with a (2)–3 pillared spire and a six or more-holed disc. This now extends the distribution range of the genus Neoamphicyclus from the southern Australian shores, north to Indonesia and Japan.