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An introduction to the echinoderms of southern China
... Ng et al. (2017) has discussed Hong Kong's location adjacent to the South China Sea and extensive coastline as part of high diversity found within its waters, among this diversity, the Echinodermata. The last comprehensive survey of Hong Kong echinoderms recorded 21 species (9 families) of Asteroidea and 21 species (11 families) of Echinoidea in 1995 (Liao & Clark 1995;A.M. Clark 1980). Echinoderm surveys of adjacent regions, including Hainan island and the southern China region include those of Liao (1998) and Liao & Clark (1995). ...
... The last comprehensive survey of Hong Kong echinoderms recorded 21 species (9 families) of Asteroidea and 21 species (11 families) of Echinoidea in 1995 (Liao & Clark 1995;A.M. Clark 1980). Echinoderm surveys of adjacent regions, including Hainan island and the southern China region include those of Liao (1998) and Liao & Clark (1995). Lane et al. (2001) inventoried echinoderms from the South China Sea. ...
... The use of only imagery for identifications is imperfect, but these data were checked against taxonomic authorities and specimens whenever possible to ensure correct identifications. Identification of images and specimens was performed using diagnostic characters from Shigei (1986) and Schultz (2015Schultz ( , 2017 for echinoids, Marsh & Fromont (2020) for asteroids, Döderlein (1915Döderlein ( , 1916Döderlein ( , 1935Döderlein ( , 1936, and Liao & Clark (1995) for both asteroids and echinoids and other references as indicated for specific taxa. Prior records of echinoderms from Hong Kong were checked from literature, including Mortensen (1943), A.M. Clark (1980), Thompson (1980) and Liao & Clark (1995). ...
This paper reports several new occurrences for Asteroidea and Echinoidea in Hong Kong. New records for asteroids include Anseropoda rosacea, Aquilonastra cepheus, Pentaceraster alveolatus, Pentaceraster sibogae, and Culcita novaeguineae. For echinoids, new records include Coelopleurus maculatus, Eucidaris metularia, Prionocidaris baculosa, Echinostrephus molaris, Pseudoboletia indiana, Salmacis bicolor, Stomopneustes variolaris, Toxopneustes pileolus, Clypeaster reticulatus, Metalia spatagus, and Nacospatangus altus. Several novel ecological observations on behavior, diet and morphological variation are also described. These additional occurrences and new observations are attributed to more comprehensive reporting from SCUBA diving as well as the advent of shared resources from social media platforms.
... They are found on the sandy bottoms of the littoral to sublittoral zones and are typically distributed in the range of tropical and temperate oceans in the world (Blake, 1983;Clark, 1989;Lawrence, 2013). The genus encompasses 48 species (Clark, 1989;Liao and Clark, 1995;Liu et al., 2006aLiu et al., , 2006bHopkins and Knott, 2010;Mah and Blake, 2012), among which, six species, viz Luidia avicularia Fisher, 1913, Luidia hardwicki (Gray, 1840), Luidia maculata Müller and Troschel, 1842, Luidia quinaria von Martens, 1865, Luidia sagamina Döderlein, 1920, and Luidia savignyi (Audouin, 1826) have been found in Japan (Kogure, 2018). ...
... Blue OTUs indicate the sequences newly obtained in this study. Presence (black rectangle), absence (grey rectangle), or both (black and grey) of eight diagnostic characters of morphogroups indicated by Döderlein (1920) are shown for each species: 1, the abradial-most abactinal series contains 1.5 times or more plates than the adjacent superomarginal series; 2, mottled and/or banded colour pattern; 3, oral pedicellariae; 4, actinal pedicellariae; 5, adambulacral pedicellariae; 6, enlarged abactinal spines on the centre of paxillae; 7, two furrow spines on each adambulacral plate; 8, two or more actinal series (Perrier, 1884;Koehler, 1895;Fisher, 1906bFisher, , 1911Fisher, , 1913Fisher, , 1919Goto, 1914;Döderlein, 1920;Mortensen, 1933;Clark, 1953Clark, , 1982Clark and Rowe, 1971;Downey, 1973;Hayashi, 1973;Walenkamp, 1976;Clark and Downey, 1992;Liao and Clark, 1995;Hopkins and Knott, 2010;Kogure, 2015). Question marks mean unknown. ...
... In this study, we report a seventh Luidia species in Japanese waters. This key to the seven Japanese species is based on our observations and previous descriptive papers (Döderlein, 1920;Liao & Clark, 1995;Hayashi, 1973;Kogure, 2015). Data availability. ...
Luidia iwakiensis n. sp. (Asteroidea, Echinodermata) is described in Japanese waters. A molecular phylogenetic analysis including 18 Luidia species supported Döderlein L (1920, Siboga Expedition 4, 193–291) four morphogroups. Morphological reconsideration revealed three of the eight criteria of the morphogroup adopted by Döderlein were justified, but the remaining five characters were rejected. The placement of the new species in the Ciliaris-group was supported by molecular as well as morphological evidence, however, it varies from other species of Ciliaris-group by arm number, length of major inferomarginal spines, and pedicellariae on actinal plates.
... Most of the specimens were frozen without preservation fluid, but some of them were stored in ethanol (95%) at room temperature, then transported to the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Sanya, China, for further analysis. The samples were sorted and the species identified by using summaries, keys, various original descriptions (Lyman 1875(Lyman , 1878(Lyman , 1879(Lyman , 1882(Lyman , 1883Lütken & Mortensen 1889;Koehler 1897Koehler , 1899Koehler , 1900Koehler , 1904Koehler , 1905Koehler , 1907Koehler , 1922aKoehler , 1922bDöderlein 1902Döderlein , 1911Döderlein , 1927H.L. Clark 1911H.L. Clark , 1915H.L. Clark , 1923Matsumoto 1917;Mortensen 1924;Baker 1980;Hendler 1988Hendler , 2018Liao & Clark 1995;McKnight 2000;Liao 2004;O'Hara & Stöhr 2006;Martynov 2010;Stöhr 2011Stöhr , 2012Stöhr et al. 2012;Thuy & Stöhr 2016;O'Hara et al. 2017O'Hara et al. , 2018Stöhr & O'Hara 2021) and molecular analysis. ...
... The disc diameter was 67 mm. Our specimen is similar to the holotype description by Döderlein (1911) and the description in Liao & Clark (1995), but showed some morphological variations, especially on the disc (Fig. 11). Therefore, we hesitate to fully associate our specimen with G. dolichodactylus. ...
... Therefore, we hesitate to fully associate our specimen with G. dolichodactylus. The original description and the description in Liao & Clark (1995) mention small granules on both the dorsal and ventral disc, but the present specimen is completely naked except for the radial shields ...
Deep-sea ophiuroids were collected by the manned submersible ‘Shenhaiyongshi’ from the
South China Sea at depths of 500–3550 m, in 2017 to 2020. A total of 18 species were identifi ed,
including three new species and eight new records, increasing the total number of species known from
the South China Sea to 304. Most of the ophiuroids recorded from the South China Sea were found in
shallow waters (77.9%) and a few of them occurred only in deep water (20.4%). Three new species are
described as Ophiacantha aster sp. nov., Ophiomoeris petalis sp. nov. and Ophiopristis shenhaiyongshii
sp. nov. We provide comprehensive descriptions of morphological features, including characteristics of
the arm skeletons, and a phylogenetic analysis based on COI and 16S sequences. Overall intraspecifi c and
interspecifi c genetic distance variations among the families found in this study were 0.5% to 2.47% and
1.16% to 44.16%, respectively, along the South Pacifi c region to the South China Sea. Our phylogenetic
analysis suggested that COI partial genes resolved the interspecies complexity in the class Ophiuroidea
better than 16S partial genes. The order Euryalida had low interspecies genetic distance variation within
the class Ophiuroidea. The present study suggests a high probability that species of Asteroschema and
Gorgonocephalus are more widely spread around the Indo-Pacifi c region than previously expected.
... nov. was previously reported as a regional form of "Thyone pedata Semper, 1867," from the Chinese and Japanese waters (e.g., Liao & Clark 1995, Yamana 2016, because the bodywall ossicle morphologies (reported in Clark & Rowe 1971;Liao & Clark 1995; and the present study) of these species resemble each other. However, Semper (1867-8) plainly stated that the gonadal tubules of this species have needle-shaped ossicles and that the bodywall possesses quite large ossicles. ...
... nov. was previously reported as a regional form of "Thyone pedata Semper, 1867," from the Chinese and Japanese waters (e.g., Liao & Clark 1995, Yamana 2016, because the bodywall ossicle morphologies (reported in Clark & Rowe 1971;Liao & Clark 1995; and the present study) of these species resemble each other. However, Semper (1867-8) plainly stated that the gonadal tubules of this species have needle-shaped ossicles and that the bodywall possesses quite large ossicles. ...
... Distribution. Known from the Gulf of Tonkin, China, depth 55 m (Liao & Clark 1995), and several localities in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan: middle and eastern parts of the Seto Inland Sea, sand bottom, depth 26 m (ST-4 in 2014); mud bottom, depth 25-27 m (ST-7 in 2014), and northen part of the Kii Strait, sand bottom, shallow water (Yamana 2016). ...
Fifteen dendrochirotid holothurians, including four new species, were collected from the Seto Inland Sea and the western part of the Sea of Japan, western Japan by the training and research vessel (TR/V) TOYOSHIO MARU of Hiroshima University, during the 2014–15 surveys. Massinium toyoshiomaruae sp. nov., Thyone kyushuensis sp. nov., T. liaoi sp. nov., and T. toyoshiomaruae sp. nov. are described as new species. Massinium toyoshiomaruae sp. nov. is readily distinguishable from all congeners by the absence of bodywall ossicles and the presence of table ossicles in the tentacle base. Thyone kyushuensis sp. nov. possesses large polyporous-tables in the introvert and tentacles, bodywall ossicles of a peculiar shape, and tentacle ossicles comprised mostly of unbranching rods and/or rod-like rosettes, which differ from those of all congeners. Thyone liaoi sp. nov. resembles T. pedata Semper, 1867 in its bodywall ossicles, however, it is distinguishable by the absences of huge ossicles in the body wall and the needle-shaped ossicles in the gonadal tubules. Thyone toyoshiomaruae sp. nov. is distinguishable from all other Thyone by the presence of the peculiar shape of the bodywall ossicles. Partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene are provided from the type specimens of the new species as DNA barcoding data.
... Diagnosis (modificada de Liao y A. M. Clark, 1995;Smirnov, 2012): Organismos con 10 a 30 tentáculos dendríticos (familias Ypsilothuriidae y Rhopalodinidae y algunos géneros con tentáculos simples, algunos con ramificaciones rudimentarias). Introverso suave con músculos retractores generalmente presentes, las ámpulas tentaculares están ausentes. ...
... Madsen y Hansen (1994),describieron a la familia Cucumariidae y explicaron que contenía organismos con 10 tentáculos dendríticos (cinco pares), en ese trabajo mencionan que dicha familia estaba formada por 50 géneros. Liao y A. M. Clark (1995), realizan un trabajo sobre los equinodermos del sur de China, en donde describen a la familia Cucumariidae, como organismos con 10 a 20 tentáculos, con cuerpo cilindrico o fusiforme. Borrero-Pérez y colaboradores (2012), describieron a la familia como organismos sin "testa", con pared corporal suave con espículas pequeñas e inconspicuas, con un anillo calcáreo simple, sin prolongaciones posteriores y que presenta de 10 a 20 tentáculos. ...
... Referencias de identificación:Ancona-Lopez, 1965: 315-316; Panning, 1971: 38;A. M. Clark y Liao, 1995; 477. ...
The aim of the present work is to raise awareness of the diversity of the sea cucumber species belonging to the family Cucumariidae stored in the National Echinoderm Collection “Dra. María Elena Caso Muñoz ”(CNE) at the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology (ICML), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The project was developed at the ICML, UNAM, particularly in the Laboratory of Systematics and Ecology of Echinoderms (LSEE), under the supervision of Dr. Francisco Alonso Solís Marín. Species of the family Cucumariidae distributed in Mexican marine waters are presented and described, as well as from countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina and Japan; this achievement was made thanks to the specimens and information obtained from the review of material stored in that last collection. A review of the specialized literature and the particular information of each of the species were also carried out, obtaining actual valid names, synonyms, diagnoses, distribution records (geographical and bathymetric) and some morphological aspects used in the descriptions. In total, 22 species included in nine genera belonging to the family Cucumariidae are described, with a bathymetric distribution interval from 0 to 4,082.33 m. Descriptive sheets of each of the species were also made, each one contains photographs of the external characters and Scanning Electron Microscopy photographs of internal characters (ossicles). The sheets also have general data such as geographical distribution, type material location, type locality, bathymetry and comments. A taxonomic key for the identification of the species is presented. Bathymetric interval of two species are extended (Cucumaria piperata Stimpson, 1864 and Pentacta nipponensis H. L. Clark, 1938). Geographic distribution of five cucumarid species is also extended: Cucumaria piperata Stimpson 1864, Leptopentacta nina Deichmann, 1941, Pseudocnus curatus (Cowles, 1907), Pseudocnus dubiosus (Semper, 1868) and Pseudocnus lubricus (H. L. Clark, 1901). Two new species are proposed for the family Cucumariidae: Cucumaria n. sp. and Pseudocnus n. sp.
... Distribution. Oki Island, Japan (Kohtsuka and Kogo 2012) to Fujian, China (Liao and A. M. Clark 1995). Remarks. ...
... Distribution. Noto Peninsula, Japan (Kogo 1998) to Hong Kong (Liao and A. M. Clark 1995). ...
... Distribution. Aomori, northern Japan (Kogo 1998) to Hainan Island (Liao and A. M. Clark 1995). ...
A faunal investigation of shallow-water (<50 m) comatulids of the Ashizuri-Uwakai Sea, Shikoku Island, southern Japan was performed between mid-2011 and early 2015, using scuba. It revealed that 30 species of seven families are distributed in the area, including two tropical species, Clarkcomanthus mirabilis (Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles, and Vail, 1986) and Clarkcomanthus mirus (Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles, and Vail, 1986) that are recorded in Japanese waters for the first time, as well as two species recently described during the research. Seventy-five percent of the listed species are tropical species, and 70% are shared with the fauna of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of Japan. These results agree with the general feature of the Ashizuri-Uwakai Sea in which the biota is strongly influenced by the Kuroshio Current flowing from the south.
Key Words:feather stars, marine fauna, new records, Kuroshio Current.
... Aboral surface with numerous spikelike venomous spines. The color in life is greenish, khaki or grayish with the orange spines (Clark and Rowe, 1971;Liao and Clark, 1995;pers. observation). ...
... Sea star with rounded or pentagonal form, without pronounced arms, often cushion-like with the upper side more or less swollen, with some tubercles on upper side. This species is very variable in color (Liao and Clark, 1995;Coleman, 2007). Common intertidally on rocky and coral reefs, rubble. ...
... Entire surface covered by opaque smooth skin. The color in life is grayish yellow or pinkish, with reddish popular areas (Clark and Rowe, 1971;Liao and Clark, 1995; pers. observation). ...
Host recognition is characteristic of many symbiotic invertebrates, including decapods. It was previously shown that, as a rule, the wider the range of hosts the less specific is the symbiont's recognition reaction. To test this hypothesis, we investigated pattern of host use, host recognition behavior and its specificity in an obligate generalist symbiont, pontoniine shrimp Zenopontonia soror. Worldwide this symbiont inhabits at least 23 species of shallow-water tropical sea stars, 10 species of which are in the studied area, the Bay of Nhatrang, Vietnam. The main part of the Z. soror population in the Bay is unevenly distributed between 4 abundant sea star species, Acanthaster planci, Culcita novaeguineae, Choriaster granulatus and Linckia laevigata. However, the prevalence of infestation of the latter species was very low despite its abundance. Such distribution across the hosts may be related to their relative size and morphological complexity. It seems that the distribution and the number of Z. soror shrimp in the Bay are controlled not only by the number, but also by species composition of the hosts. Host selection experiment in aquaria showed that Z. soror is able to recognize and distinguish the host species with which they were associated in the sea (C. novaeguineae or A. planci) among other sea stars including species recorded as possible hosts (L. laevigata, A. planci, and C. novaeguineae). Experimental results demonstrated that the symbiont-host relationship is based on host chemical and visual cues, however, symbionts' reaction to visual cues and their ability to recognize objects visually was low. Our data show that even generalists symbionts have specificity, which is probably supported by the habit forming to a specific species of host (host-imprinting).
... Distribution. Hawaiian Ids (USA) (Fisher, 1907), Johnston Is. (USA), Mariana Ids (Guam, USA) (Paulay, 2003); Australia (NE, SE, NW, and N coasts, QLD, Thursday Is, NSW, WA, NT, Norfolk Is, Lord Howe Is., Montebello Islands, Ashmore & Cartier Islands, Tasman Sea) (Rowe 1989;Rowe and Gates 1995;Marsh 2000), Andaman Islands (Bell 1887); Sulawesi (Indonesia) (Massin 1999), Japan (Mitsukuri 1912); China, South China Sea (Liao and Clark 1995;Lane et al. 2000), Philippines, Borneo, Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Marsh 1994), Kerimba Archipelago (Mozambique) (Pearson 1910), Red Sea (Ludwig 1880), Mauritius (Ludwig 1883), Glorioso Islands (Mulochau and Conand 2008;this work), South Africa (Thandar 2008). ...
... Holothuria verrucosa is characterised by fully developed tables with numerous (more than eight) peripheral holes and with the edge of the disk bearing numerous minutes spines (Cherbonnier 1980(Cherbonnier , 1988Liao and Clark A.M., 1995;Samyn 2003) versus reduced tables in H. lineata, H. insignis, and H. pardalis. Holothuria verrucosa is also characterised by the presence of 24-30 tentacles versIus 18-20 for the three other species. ...
... The ossicle assemblage of the tube feet of H. pardalis are characterised by massive curved rods with 1-3 perforations at the extremities versus slender curved rods with 2-7 perforations at the extremities for the three other species. Holothuria insignis differs from the three other species by a majority of buttons (or pseudo buttons) being reduced to one row of perforations (see Ludwig 1875;Panning 1951, Liao andClark 1995). ...
Citation: Samyn Y, Massin C, Vandenspiegel D (2019) The sea cucumber Holothuria lineata Ludwig, 1875 (Holothuroidea, Aspidochirotida, Holothuriidae) re-described from the newly found type. ZooKeys 836: 81-91. Abstract A re-description of the little-known holothurian species Holothuria (Lessonothuria) lineata Ludwig, 1875 is given. It is based on the single recovered type specimen and an individual recently collected on Glorioso Islands, near Madagascar. A key to separate three closely related and commonly confused species, i.e., Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis Selenka, 1867, Holothuria (Lessenothuria) verrucosa Selenka, 1867 and Holothuria (Lessonothuria) insignis Ludwig, 1875, is presented.
... Dorometra aphrodite (A.H. Clark, 1912) also has a similar range, ranging from southeastern Japan (Gisl en, 1927;Kogo, 1998Kogo, , 2002Kogo & Fujita, 2014) to Timor, Indonesia (Clark & Clark, 1967;Liao & Clark, 1995). ...
... In Liao and Clark (1995) the inclusion of D. aphrodite in the genus was debated, as juvenile specimens of D. parvicirra and D. aphrodite are often indistinguishable, and, therefore, possibly synonyms. Our results here showed that the two species are closely related but should be considered as separate species, although the affiliation of these two species to genus Dorometra cannot be maintained and should be reconsidered, due to the phylogenetic distance from Dorometra sensu stricto (clade A). ...
Dorometra Clark, 1917 Clark, A. H. (1917). A revision of the crinoid family Antedonidae, with the diagnoses of nine new genera. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 7, 127–131. [Google Scholar] (Comatulida: Antedonidae) is an Indo-Pacific genus of small-sized cryptic feather stars currently comprising nine species. The monophyly of this crinoid genus has been widely questioned, although only few studies have investigated the phylogeny of Antedonidae in depth. In this study we used an integrated approach combining molecular phylogenetic, morphology, and multivariate analyses to clarify the taxonomic placement of the genus Dorometra within family Antedonidae. Eight of the nine known species of the genus collected from Australia to the Sea of Japan were included in analyses. Phylogenetic analyses using sequences from two mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and one nuclear (28S) genes demonstrate that Dorometra is polyphyletic, and its species are divided into three main clades, which are spread within other Antedonidae. As a result, we herein describe Nesometra gen. nov. Four different species delimitation methods on single and multi-locus alignments also showed higher diversity than previously thought. In particular, our results highlighted the presence of cryptic diversity within the species Dorometra nana (Hartlaub, 1890) in geographically close localities within southern Japan. By multivariate analysis of morphological matrix, we confirmed the homoplasy and plasticity of the taxonomic characters used in the description of Dorometra species, providing a path forward for the general taxonomic revision of this genus and of Antedonidae and related families.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB7C239C-5CA0-485B-B4A8-205288FC4080
... Distribution. China, Philippines and East Indies (Liao & Clark 1995) and now Holothuria Bank (Western Australia). ...
... This is a well-known West-Pacific form originally described by Semper (1868) from Bohol, Philippines. It is well illustrated by Semper and more recently by Liao & Clark (1995) and its distribution recorded by Clark & Rowe (1971) and Rowe & Gates (1995). However, judging from the literature it has not been encountered frequently. ...
A mixed batch of sea cucumbers tentatively labelled as ?Thyone or ?Havelockia species was obtained on loan from the Natural History Museum, United Kingdom (NHMUK) for identifications and records. The material dates back to 1850 and originates from shallow waters from various parts of the world. The material includes two new species and one new subspecies which have already been described in an earlier paper (see Thandar, 2017). The remaining specimens comprise a few known or poorly known nominal species and several indeterminate forms. This paper describes the known species while adding some useful information about them. Of the indeterminate species included are several specimens most belonging to the genus Thyone or Havelockia which, because of their incompleteness and absence of ossicles, are not identified beyond their suspected genus or species.
... Distribution. This species is recorded from East Africa and the Red Sea, the Maldives, Bay of Bengal, Xisha Island, the Philippines, the East Indies to the Gilbert Islands, and south of the Tokara Islands, from 0-385 m depth (Shigei 1981;Liao & A.M. Clark 1995;present study). ...
... 83', pl. 25, figs. 6-8;Liao and A.M. Clark 1995: 382-383, fig. 224. ...
A new species, Fibularia coffea sp. nov., occurs from shallow waters in Japan. This new species is distinguished from the other species of Fibularia by the following characters: test height is low, oral surface is slightly depressed toward the peristome, number of pores of petal III continues to increase with the test growth, reaching over 30 at TL > 7.5 mm, and black pigments form symmetric pentaradial on aboral surface in living animals. Two further Japanese species, Fibularia japonica and F. ovulum, are redescribed based on the type specimens (F. japonica) and additional specimens (F. ovulum), respectively. A tabular key to the extant species of Fibularia is also provided. A partial fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of the type specimens of F. coffea sp. nov. and the additional specimen of F. japonica was sequenced for barcoding in future works.
... James (1976); Thandar (1989); Liao & Clark (1995) BW, body wall; TF, tube feet, NWA, North-western Atlantic; SWA, South-western Atlantic. anteriorly for the passage of the radial nerves and radial canal and with long and subdivided (∼3-4 large pieces) posterior processes. ...
... nov. differs from Thyone carens Cherbonnier, 1988, Thyone roscovita Hérouard, 1889, Thyone spini- fera Liao in Liao & Clark, 1995 andThyone vadosa Cherbonnier, 1988 in having tables in the body wall (vs body wall ossicles lacking). ...
Thyone and Havelockia are worldwide-distributed genera represented in the Western Atlantic by eight and three species, respectively. In this paper, we describe two new shallow-water species from the Brazilian coast: Thyone waltinhoi sp. nov. and Havelockia oraneae sp. nov. These genera are very similar morphologically but the presence of subdivisions in their calcareous rings separates them into different families, Thyone in Phyllophoridae and Havelockia in Sclerodactylidae. To observe the presence of subdivisions, we submerged the calcareous rings in an iodine solution prior to morphological analyses. Thyone waltinhoi sp. nov. differs from its Western Atlantic congeners in its dermal ossicles and Havelockia oraneae sp. nov. differs from its South-western Atlantic congeners in the composition of its introvert ossicles. In addition to species descriptions, illustrations and morphological diagnoses of both genera are provided, along with a synoptic table of their Western Atlantic species, and a discussion of the taxonomic significance of the dermal ossicles and the calcareous ring.
... Cherbonnier and Guille (1978) suggested that both species may be conspecific, but did not actually revise them. Later, Liao and Clark (1995) and Liao (2004) still apparently treated both as separate species, since they did not mention A. obtecta when reporting A. microplax from South China. The condition of the ventral disk (scaled in A. microplax, naked in A. obtecta) has hardly been mentioned by these authors. ...
... Spiny radial digits are known also from Amphioplus (Amphioplus) cyrtacanthus H.L. Clark, 1915, Amphioplus (Amphioplus) lucidus Koehler, 1922(Liao & Clark, 1995, Amphioplus (Amphioplus) ancistrotus (H.L. Clark, 1911) (Dyakonov 1954;Liao 2004) and possibly other species. None of these appear to have spiny disk scales though and they all show the typical Amphioplus formula of the oral papillae. ...
Brittle stars were collected on the southern coast of Turkey in 2005 and 2009. The most abundant species found (up to 420 ind. m -2 ) was Amphiodia obtecta. The taxonomic status of this species was unclear and is revised here. This is the first record of the genus Amphiodia in the Mediterranean Sea; it probably originates from the Red Sea, since it is absent from the entire Atlantic Ocean. Among the other species found, Ophiactis macrolepidota (previously reported as O. parva in the Mediterranean) is a new record for the marine fauna of Turkey.
... Additionally, Pawson (1978) described two subspecies of P. maculata differentiated by the number of porepair of podia: P. maculata maculata Troschel, 1869 from Indo-Pacific oceans and North-Western Atlantic (with four pore-pair of podia) and Pseudoboletia maculata atlantica Clark, 1912 from St. Helena and Ascension Islands (with predominantly five pore-pair of podia). The species P. indiana and P. maculata were designated as synonyms by Liao and Clark (1995), making Pseudoboletia a monotypic genus. According to Liao and Clark (1995) the test morphology of the P. indiana and P. maculata are identical except for differences in the color pattern (absence of dark spots in P. indiana). ...
... The species P. indiana and P. maculata were designated as synonyms by Liao and Clark (1995), making Pseudoboletia a monotypic genus. According to Liao and Clark (1995) the test morphology of the P. indiana and P. maculata are identical except for differences in the color pattern (absence of dark spots in P. indiana). However, this classification was not followed by subsequent studies. ...
The genus Pseudoboletia was recently reported off coast of Brazil (Trindade-Martin Vaz insular complex). This study reports the first record of this genus to southern of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina coasts. Morphological and molecular data showed that sea urchins from Brazil and São Tomé are the same species, genetically distinct of individuals from Indo-Pacific. However, taxonomic identity of Brazilian species remains as a challenge. Two hypotheses to explain the recent records of this species on Brazilian coast are discussed: a recent natural invasion by long-distance dispersal and a recent population expansion in the Brazilian coast after absence or low density period.
... Щупалец 20. Спикулы: столики с четырьмя столбиками и низким шпилем обычно с короткими шипиками на вершине; также часто встречаются перфорированные пластинки (Liao, A.M. Clark, 1995). Распространение. ...
... Вид обнаружен у берегов Японии (бухта Суруга, 34°40,45 с. ш., 138°18,30 в. д. (Ohshima, 1915)), Китая (от зал. Тонкин до западного Гуангдонга (Liao, A.M.Clark, 1995)) и Кореи (Желтое море, 33° с. ш., 124°50′ в. д. (Won, Rho, 1998)); в заливах Анива и Петра Великого(Левин, Бекова, 2005); в районе Курильских островов: о. Кунашир (44°01′ с. ш., 146°19′ в. д.)(Левин, Бекова, 2005), о-вов Итуруп и Симушир (наши данные). ...
... Due to the similar external morphology between H. kurti and a small specimen of H. ocellata, some scholars have regarded them as the same species (Liao and Clark 1995;Liao 1997). The sea cucumber H. kurti was first found by Sluiter (1889) and initially named "Holothuria lamperti Sluiter, 1889" (Ludwig 1891). ...
To explore the taxonomic status of a tropical sea cucumber species with controversy, we conducted an investigation into its morphological characteristics (external form and ossicles) and mitochondrial genome and rearranged the historical materials of the species and its confusing species. The species was first described in the middle of the 18th century but later synonymized with Bohadschia ocellata Jaeger, 1833, Holothuria hamata Pearson, 1913, or Holothuria kurti Ludwig, 1891, by different scholars. The observed ossicles encompassed multiple types, including buttons, C-shaped ossicles, rods, and tables, with a distinct subtype identified as tack-like tables. Ventral and dorsal body walls exhibited similar table and button ossicle shapes. The mitogenome contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, with a sequence length of 15,797 bp. Subsequent construction of a phylogenetic tree using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods indicated that the species was grouped into a separate branch firstly with Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera Théel, 1886, so suggesting its taxonomic classification under subgenus Theelothuria Deichmann, 1958. Based on the data of this study and previous literature, we suggested that the Latin name for this species should tentatively be “Holothuria ocellata Jaeger, 1833 sensuThéel 1886.” The morphologic and genomic information in the current study could be valuable in further biological studies of this sea cucumber species.
... Fresh material was photographed, where possible in situ, and preserved for subsequent identification. Identification of specimens was substantially achieved using Mortensen (1950), Clark and Rowe (2007), and other relevant sources such as Liao and Clark (1995). ...
The Gulf of Aden (GA) experiences seasonal upwelling phenomena, fostering favorable conditions for diverse marine life. Despite this richness, the known sea urchin species in the Gulf of Aden has been limited to the common long‐spined ( Diadema paucispinum ). Our study aimed to explore and document sea urchin diversity in this region. Through scuba diving and low tide collections from coral reefs and sandbanks, we obtained samples along the Hadhramout coast, spanning from the Qusayr area to the Aden Province coast, including Azizi Island opposite Ras Imran and the sub‐district of the city of Aden. This survey revealed five sea urchin species, expanding the known taxa. For the first time in the Gulf of Aden, we qualitatively registered two regular and three irregular sea urchin species: Heterocentrotus mammillatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Stomopneustes variolaris (Lamarck, 1816), Echinodiscus bisperforatus (Leske, 1778), Clypeaster humilis (Leask, 1778), and Lovenia elongata (Gray, 1845). These findings contribute to our understanding of the Gulf biodiversity and emphasize the need for continued exploration in this region.
... One of the C samples was identified as A. sobrina and our other samples of C also had this morphology (a tendency to have four arm spines, enlarged radial shields, distinct primary disc plates and thinner arms compared with the typical A. squamata). Amphipholis sobrina has previously been reported from Japan and the China Sea (20-550 m) [54] and group C from 10 to 100 m off southern New Zealand [27]. In summary, A. squamata complex differs from previously reported marine polyploid examples in its extensive depth distribution (0-1600 m). ...
The widespread and abundant brooding brittle-star (Amphipholis squamata) is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with a complex mitochondrial phylogeography of multiple divergent overlapping mtDNA lineages, high levels of inbreeding or clonality and unusual sperm morphology. We use exon-capture and transcriptome data to show that the nuclear genome comprises multiple (greater than 3) divergent (π > 6%) expressed components occurring across samples characterized by highly divergent (greater than 20%) mitochondrial lineages, and encompassing several other genera, including diploid dioecious species. We report a massive sperm genome size in A. squamata, an order of magnitude larger than that present in other brittle-stars, and consistent with our SNP-based measure of greatly elevated ploidy. Similarity of these genetic signatures to well-known animal systems suggests that A. squamata (and related taxa) is a hybrid polyploid asexual complex of variable subgenome origins, ploidy and reproductive mode. We discuss enigmatic aspects of A. squamata biology in this light. This putative allopolyploid complex would be the first to be reported from the phylum Echinodermata.
... The specimens here studied come very close to Thyone villosa Semper, 1868, from Cebu (Philippines), re-described from the type by Panning (1949), T. comata Cherbonnier, 1988 from Tuléar (Madagascar) and Mayotte Island (Comores) and, on the bases of body wall deposits alone, to T. pedata Semper, 1868, recently described by Liao (in Liao & Clark 1995) from new material collected from the Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea. In fact, so much is the resemblance of the present material to the above three species that I was at first inclined to consider T. pedata and T. comata to be junior subjective synonyms of T. villosa, a species not encountered since its original description. ...
Numerous unidentified specimens of Holothuroidea received from the Natal and South African Museums or present in the collections of the former University of Durban-Westville, contain several new species and many that are new to the fauna of South Africa. This paper includes descriptions of new species or new records of several dendrochirotid holothuroids and a dactylochirotid from off the east coast of South Africa, extending from Kosi Bay in the north to the Port St Johns-East London area, in the Eastern Cape Province, the latter region represents the transition zone between the southern African subtropical and warm-temperate zoogeographical provinces. A few other species have been added if they represent juvenile material, or considered extensions of ranges (bathymetric or otherwise) of previously known species, or confirmation of a species previously recorded from a single locality in the region under consideration. Of the 16 species here treated, four are new to science, seven new to the fauna of South Africa, whereas the rest are either extension of ranges or additional records. The four new species are Psolidium multipes, P. acorbula, Ekkentropelma groovia and Psolidothuria yasmeena. The following six species are additions to the fauna of South Africa: Thyone avenusta Cherbonnier, 1970; T. comata Cherbonnier, 1988; Selenkiella paradoxa Cherbonnier, 1970; Ohshimella ocula (Cherbonnier, 1988); Plesiocolochirus tessellarus (Cherbonnier, 1970) and Staurothyone rosacea (Semper, 1869). Pseudocolochirus dispar (Lampert, 1889) is new to the fauna of southern Africa, recorded for the first time from Mozambique. The remaining species include Stolus pseudoalbescens Thandar, 2005; Sclerothyone velligera (Ludwig & Heding, 1935); Ohshimella ehrenbergii (Selenka, 1868); Pawsonellus africanus Thandar, 1986 and Trachasina crucifera (Semper, 1869).
... Clark (1993 pointed out that the validity of the genus Bothriaster and the species B. primigenius was doubtful because the diagnostic characteristics were attributable to the immaturity of the lost holotype specimen. Liao & Clark (1995) reported that young individuals of C. granulatus have been described under other generic names, implying C. granulatus and B. primigenius are conspecific. ...
One of the oreasterid sea stars, Bothriaster primigenius, is a rarely encountered species in the tropical Indo-West Pacific. The taxonomic position of this species, and more specifically, whether to recognize this sea star as a species, remains unresolved. To resolve the question, we assessed the specific validity of this sea star based on morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The results revealed that this species is a young individual of another oreasterid sea star, Choriaster granulatus, and is placed as a junior synonym for the same.
... One of the C samples was identified as A. sobrina and our other samples of C also had this morphology (a tendency to have 4 arm spines, enlarged radial shields, distinct primary disc plates, and thinner arms compared to the typical A. squamata). Amphipholis sobrina has previously been reported from Japan and the China Sea (20-550 m) [52,53] and goupp C predominately from 70-100 m off southern New Zealand [26] (with one specimen found in shallow water in Fiordland, a habitat known to harbour emergent deep water species [54]). In summary, group C (=A. sobrina) is a shelf to upper bathyal clade found in the west Pacific Ocean that occasionally occurs in shallow water. ...
The widespread and abundant brooding brittle-star (Amphipholis squamata) is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with a complex mitochondrial phylogeography of multiple divergent overlapping mtDNA lineages and can exhibit high levels of inbreeding or clonality and unusual sperm morphology. We use exon-capture and transcriptome data to show that the nuclear genome comprises multiple (>3) divergent (π > 6%) expressed components spread across the mitochondrial lineages, and encompassing several other genera, including diploid dioecious dimorphic species. We also report a massive sperm genome size in A. squamata, an order of magnitude larger than in the sperm of other brittle-star species, consistent with our genetic measures of elevated and variable ploidy (>6). We propose that A. squamata (and related taxa) is a hybrid polyploid complex with many independent hybrid origins, variable ploidy, and complex patterns of parental subgenomes. We hypothesize that A. squamata has facultative sperm-dependent asexual reproduction, where sperm is required for embryogenesis but the egg and sperm only occasionally undergo fertilisation, a process that has been associated with the formation of polyploid hybrid swarms in other taxa. Unique amongst known marine allopolyploids, the A. squamata complex inhabits an extensive bathymetric as well as geographic range. Measuring site heterozygosity in next-generation sequencing data is an effective way of screening samples for allopolyploidy and reproductive assurance, particularly for under-researched taxa such as marine invertebrates.
... We treated Asterostegus sabineae as "Asterostegus sp." in the cladogram of Okanishi and Fujita (2013). Species of Trichaster were not labeled as having branched arms in the cladogram of Okanishi and Fujita(2013), but we treated the genus as being basketstars(Döderlein 1927;Liao and Clark 1995).Among the Gorgonocephalidae, 34 species were added to the cladograms of Okanishi and Fujita (2013) andChristodoulou et al. (2019b). The genus Astroclon, with two species and branched arms, was added based on Okanishi and Fujita (2018). ...
Synopsis
Branching of arms and presence of pedicellariae are characters among ophiuroids found only in the order Euryalida (snakestars and basketstars). Family Asteronychidae has neither character; family Euryalidae has 2 small clades with branched arms; and family Gorgonocephalidae has all species with pedicellariae and 3 or 4 clades with branched arms. Despite the rare occurrence of these characters in the Ophiuroidea, they might be key adaptations within the Euryalida that have led to relatively high diversification. Sister-group comparison of the distribution of these 2 characters among taxa indicates that neither character alone explains diversity patterns within the order. In particular, branching restricted to the tips of arms seems not strongly adaptive, probably for the lack of integration of basal forks with the disc. On the other hand, 2 clades of gorgonocephalids with basal branching exceed their snakestar sister groups in numbers of species, indicating an advantage of branching within the family. Unfortunately, the analysis cannot benefit from statistics, for at least 5 independent comparisons are required for a one-tailed sign test. Because branching and pedicellariae are probably not independent variables, future sister-group comparisons should be done only within the Gorgonocephalidae once clade structure is better clarified with increased taxon sampling (10 currently missing genera) and resolution of intra-generic inconsistencies in the most recent cladograms available. Branching might confer upon gorgonocephalid basketstars a more efficient use of pedicellariae for upstream capture of zooplankton over their snakestar relatives as well as over the Euryalidae, which retain ancestral downstream capture by mucus-laden podia.
... Clark, 1907), D. clymene A.H. Clark, 1911, D. mauritiana (A.H. Clark, 1911, D. nana (Hartlaub, 1890) and D. parvicirra (Carpenter, 1888) (Clark & Clark, 1967;Liao & Clark, 1995). Four species, D. aphrodite, D. briseis, D. nana, D. parvicirra, have been reported from Japanese waters (Utinomi & Kogo, 1965;Kogo, 1998;Kogo, 2002;Kogo & Fujita, 2005). ...
A new comatulid of the family Antedonidae, Dorometra sesokonis n. sp., is described from coral reefs of the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. The new species is extremely small with ten short arms and a unique pinnulation in which some proximal pinnules are absent or poorly developed in most specimens. Additionally, cirrals and brachials of D. sesokonis are elongated and partly colorless. The combination of these morphological characters makes the new species appear like juvenile specimens, regardless of sexual maturity. This species also has remarkable reproductive habits, exhibiting both external brooding and hermaphroditism.
... Thandar (2005) pointed out that, except for the presence of warts or tubercles on the skin, the structure of the calcareous ring and the form of the tentacle ossicles, this species corresponds well with the description of S. albescens given by Liao and Clark (1995). However, S. albescens is much larger (up to 145 mm long), lacks warts or tubercles, has radial plates that are not as deeply cleft and different tentacle and introvert deposits. ...
Suricata 9: A taxonomic monograph of the sea cucumbers of southern Africa (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)
A.S. Thandar (2022)
The southern African marine region, which lies in the transitional zone between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific biomes, has a very rich biodiversity with elements from the two major oceanic regions. This taxonomic monograph, long awaited by local enthusiasts, marine biologists and holothuroid specialists worldwide, focuses on the southern African Holothuroidea. It is based on the author’s approximately 55 years of research on the taxonomy of sea cucumbers with specific emphasis on the southern African fauna.
The monograph includes a brief account of the materials used; fixation, preservation and other techniques; an illustrated account of gross morphological features of mostly the shallow-water holothuroids; an illustrated glossary of the microscopic ossicles; some zoogeographical considerations; an updated checklist that summarises the composition, biodiversity and faunistic components of all southern African holothuroids; a dichotomous key to orders, families, genera and species; and the systematic account of all recorded species. All seven currently recognised orders are represented, distributed over 26 families, 76 genera and 171 nominal and 10 indeterminate species. These include a couple of new records for the southern African region. South Africa has 152 nominal species.
Each species account has a selected synonymy indicating the most pertinent synonyms, a brief diagnosis, the type locality, habitat notes, distribution data, concise remarks, a figure of the most important diagnostic characters and a distribution map. A comprehensive index and a full list of references that are cited or used in the text are also provided.
Hard cover
Price SADC R690.00
... The majority of brittle star species are dweller under the seabed, buried in mud, or hiding in crevices and pits of rocks or corals. Some species are epizoic, which live in various hosts such as gorgonian or black coral [4] [5]. This organism is a negative phototaxis and tends to hide in its habitat. ...
... In the present specimen, the surface of all the abactinal plates and some of the actinal plates shows numerous glassy bosses. Liao and A. M. Clark (1995) suggested that Stellaster septemtrionalis Oguro, 1991, which was described from 105 m deep in the East China Sea (Oguro 1991), may be a junior synonym of O. capella although they did not give a detailed description or comparison of the two species. The two species are indeed very similar in having 5-6 furrow spines, 2-3 short subambulacral spines, and in lacking tubercles or spines on abactinal and marginal plates. ...
Five species of sea stars of the families Ophidiasteridae and Goniasteridae including two new species, Bathyferdina caelator sp. nov. and Fromia labeosa sp. nov., were collected by dredging from the mesophotic zone of the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Bathyferdina caelator is distinguished from B. aireyae Mah, 2017 by the presence of glassy bosses (crystal bodies) on actinal and adambulacral plates and the absence of them on marginal plates. Fromia labeosa has large, elliptical pedicellariae on the actinal plate and is further distinguished from its congeners based on characters of the abactinal and superomarginal plates, granules, actinal papulae, furrow spines, and the subambulacral spines. We also provide descriptions for three mesophotic species, Fromia eusticha Fisher, 1913, Ogmaster capella (Müller and Troschel, 1842), and Tamaria tenella (Fisher, 1906), which are poorly studied in Japanese waters.
... The majority of brittle star species are dweller under the seabed, buried in mud, or hiding in crevices and pits of rocks or corals. Some species are epizoic, which live in various hosts such as gorgonian or black coral [4] [5]. This organism is a negative phototaxis and tends to hide in its habitat. ...
Ophiuroidea and echinoidea are usually lived associated with coral reef and seaweed. Krakal and Watu Kodok Beach of Gunung Kidul Regency have characteristics of karst rocks, rubble and fast-current sea. They have large intertidal zone that allows ophiuroid and echinoid trapped among the basin during low tide. The research was aimed to identify and determine the diversity of Brittle Star and Sea Urchin in Krakal and Watu Kodok Beach. Survey was conducted on November-December 2018 at Krakal and Watu Kodok Beach. The samples were taken using quadrant transect method during low tide. The result of present work showed a total of 391 individuals belonging to Ophiocomidae Ophiuroid (2 species) and 279 individuals of 4 species echinoids belong to 2 families (Echinometridae and Diadematidae) lived in both beach. The highest abundance of Ophiocoma scolopendrina was found in Krakal beach (33.4 ind.m ⁻² ) while Echinometra oblonga was biggest in Watu Kodok beach (14.4 ind.m ⁻² ). In both location the diversity was low with medium to high similarity.
... The family Sclerodactylidae is represented in the South-western Atlantic Ocean by the species Pseudothyone belli (Ludwig, 1887) Tables and rosettes Plates Tables and rosettes Rosettes Tables -Tables and rosettes BW table disc shape Cherbonnier (1958) James (1976); Thandar (1989); Liao & Clark (1995) Coronatum baiensis, have tables with an oval, knobbed disc, while the tables of Havelockia nietae sp. nov. ...
The study presents a review of the Dendrochirotida species from shallow waters of the northeastern coast of Brazil. A total of 1,268 specimens were analyzed and 24 species were recorded, which were classified into 16 genera of Cucumariidae, Psolidae, Phyllophoridae, and Sclerodactylidae. Detailed descriptions and figures of the taxonomic characters are provided to facilitate species identification. Notes on morphological variation, geographic distribution, and habitat are also provided. We suggest two new species for science, Thyone brasiliana sp. nov. and Havelockia nietae sp. nov., the new combination Parathyone braziliensis (Verrill, 1868) and the first record of Euthyonidiella trita (Sluiter, 1910) for the Brazilian coast. The bathymetric ranges are expanded for Coronatum baiensis, Euthyonidiella trita, Stolus cognatus, and Thyonidium seguroensis.
... Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bay of Bengal, Indonesia, northern and western Australia, Philippines, China, South Pacific Ocean (A. M. Clark and Rowe 1971;; southern Vietnam ; ; Singapore (Messing and Tay 2016); Borneo, South China Sea ; Papua New Guinea (Messing , 1998a; Micronesia Zmarzly 1984;Messing , 2007Kirkendale and Messing 2003); Taiwan Liao and A. M. Clark 1995); Japan (A. M. Clark and Rowe 1971;Pilcher and Messing 2001;). Depth range: 3-30 m . ...
Shallow-water comatulids were collected by scuba diving from Lombok and Ambon islands, Indonesia in 1992 and 1994. The collection consisted of a total of 35 species in 20 genera among Comatulidae, Himerometridae, Mariametridae, Colobometridae, and Antedonidae. Two species were newly recorded from Indonesian waters.
... Mooi [24] pointed out two errors in Wang's [26] study. First, Taiwanaster Wang, 1984 is a junior synonym of Sinaechinocyamus Liao, 1979 [28], and second, the superfamily Taiwanasteritida Wang, 1984, containing Fibulariidae and Taiwanasteridae, is polyphyletic. Mooi [24] and Mooi and Chen [29] concluded that Sinaechinocyamus (=Taiwanaster) is a derived scutelline sand dollar. ...
Morphologic and molecular data often lead to different hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships. This is also true in the echinoderm class Echinoidea. In particular, the phylogenetic status of the order Clypeasteroida is not well resolved. Complete mitochondrial genomes are currently available for 29 echinoid species, but no clypeasteroid has been sequenced to date. DNA extracted from a single live individual of Sinaechinocyamus mai was sequenced with 10× Genomics technology. This first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) for the order Clypeasteroida is 15,756 base pairs in length. Phylogenomic analysis based on 34 ingroup taxa belonging to nine orders of the class Echinoidea show congruence between our new genetic inference and published trees based on morphologic characters, but also includes some intriguing differences that imply the need for additional investigation.
... Luidia quinaria von Martens, 1865 and Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914 have been recorded from the Bohai Gulf, northern Yellow Sea, to the South China Sea (Liao & Clark, 1995). When we checked the samples of the Luidia quinaria -Luidia yesoensis complex deposited in the collections of the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), the character combination of arm width, body colour, and form of central paxillar spinelets revealed three distinct species in the samples. ...
In the collections of the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, a new species, Luidia changi sp. nov. was discovered mixed in with two closely allied species, L. quinaria von Martens, 1865 and L. yesoensis Goto, 1914. L. changi is described herein; it differs from the two known species in details of abactinal plates, abactinal spinelets, body proportions, and in geographic distributions of the three species.
... migration trend. Data sources are modified from Agassiz (1841); Meijere (1904); Smith (1927); Roxas (1928); Mortensen (1948aMortensen ( ), 1948bNisiyama (1968); Wang (1982b); Liao and Clark (1995) BP, indicating existence of A. placenta during 2680-680 a BP. The AMS 14 C ages illustrate that A. placenta arrived in the west coast of Taiwan at least 2680 years ago. ...
Arachnoides placenta is the most common sand dollar species in western Taiwan. Due to its lack of fossil record, the arrival of this species in Taiwan could not be estimated until now. Fragments of A. placenta was recovered sorting through a 1981- museum collection of sand dollars collected off Mailiao county, western Taiwan. Additional echinoderm specimens were recovered from Holocene sediments nearby, but no fragments of A. placenta were found, indicating a decline in the living population. A total of 11 echinoderm samples, including five specimens that were assigned to A. placenta with certainty, were sent for radiocarbon dating. Results showed that studied echinoderm fragments range from modern (after 1950) to as old as 2680 ± 55 a BP and the oldest date is from A. placenta. It is evident that Taiwan is an active migration front for A. placenta due to the relatively young arrival age for this pandemic species which is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific region. Additionally, the DNA sequence, including the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene, of the species was obtained to conduct the first molecular phylogenetic study of sand dollars in Taiwan.
... However, none of these records are provided with detailed illustrations or descriptions. Meanwhile, Porcellanasteridae is not recorded in China seas in several journals and monographs (Liao and Clark, 1995;Liu, 2008;Liao and Xiao, 2011). Overall, the distribution of Porcellanasteridae in China seas seems to be underestimated. ...
Porcellanasteridae is a group of starfish that live in the deep ocean around the world. The type species of this family, Porcellanaster ceruleus Wyville Thomson, 1878, is cosmopolitan as well as polymorphic. The first record of its occurrence in the South China Sea is reported in this paper. One specimen was caught in the South China Sea on June 6, 2015 by trawl and identified to be a P. ceruleus. The morphological characteristics of this specimen are described and detailed pictures are provided. The discovery of this specimen further expands the distribution of P. ceruleus in the Pacific Ocean. The world distribution records of P. ceruleus and its synonymic species are reviewed in this paper.
... The family Sclerodactylidae is represented in the South-western Atlantic Ocean by the species Pseudothyone belli (Ludwig, 1887) Tables and rosettes Plates Tables and rosettes Rosettes Tables -Tables and rosettes BW table disc shape Cherbonnier (1958) James (1976); Thandar (1989); Liao & Clark (1995) Coronatum baiensis, have tables with an oval, knobbed disc, while the tables of Havelockia nietae sp. nov. ...
p align="justify">O estudo apresenta a primeira lista de espécies de holotúrias para a costa do Estado da Paraíba, região nordeste do Brasil. A lista de espécies foi elaborada com base no estudo de espécimes depositados na coleção de Invertebrados Paulo Young, Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Um total de 16 espécies pertencentes a sete famílias foram registradas. Dessa forma, contribuímos para os estudos de biodiversidade da costa nordeste do Brasil.
Palavras chave : Pepinos-do-mar, Taxonomia, nordeste do Brasil, Oceano Atlântico.
Abstract : The study presents the first species list for holothurians from the coast of the State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The list was made based on the study of specimens deposited in the Invertebrate Collection Paulo Young, Federal University of Paraíba. A total of 16 species from seven families of Holothuroidea were recorded. This paper contributes to the biodiversity studies from the northeast coast of Brazil.
Key words : Sea cucumbers, Taxonomy, northeastern Brazil, Atlantic Ocean.</p
... However, our molecular analysis has indicated cryptic species within this group. Our morphological observations have revealed that specimens of Lineage 2 have a mesh-like skin (see below), (Müller and Troschel, 1842;Sars, 1861;Stewart, 1861;Dujardin and Hupé, 1862;Norman, 1865;Koehler, 1897Koehler, , 1899Koehler, , 1922Koehler, , 1924Süßbach and Brechner, 1911;Matsumoto, 1917;May, 1924;Döderlein, 1927;Mortensen, 1927;Clark, 1941;Djakonov, 1954;Chang et al., 1962Chang et al., , 1964Clark and Courtman-Stock, 1976;Baker, 1980;Paterson, 1985;Irimura, 1991;Liao and Clark, 1995;Fujita and Ohta, 1988;McKnight, 2000;Stöhr, 2005;Manso, 2010;Okanishi et al., 2011). On the other hand, Lineage 1 lacks meshlike thickened skin, and external characters match with those of syntypes of A. loveni (Fig. 8H). ...
The first phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies of the cosmopolitan deep-sea species, Asteronyx loveni Müller and Troschel, 1842, were conducted, based on specimens collected from off the Pacific coast of Japan. Partial sequences of mitochondrial 16S (68 specimens) and COI (24 specimens) genes were analyzed. Phylogenetic trees and network analyses revealed three lineages and five sub-lineages of A. loveni. Genetic distance and AMOVA (analysis of molecular variance) analyses suggested that the lineages should be considered three cryptic species. Skin on the aboral disc is partly thickened and forms a mesh-like pattern, which has never been reported in previous descriptions of Asteronyx; this is provided as a new taxonomic character. Based on absence/presence of mesh-like skin, one of the three lineages was assigned to A. loveni and another was described as Asteronyx reticulata new species. This new species can be distinguished from congeners by having reticulated external ossicles and small genital slits at the innermost position on the interradial oral disc.
... Distribution. Bohol Island (Semper 1867), South coast of China (Liao & Clark 1995), Taiwan Island (Chao 1998), Guam Island (Miller et al. 2017). In sandy-sediments (depth of approximately 5-15 cm from surface) in the intertidal zone, Susami Town, Wakayama, western Japan. ...
A new apodid sea cucumber, Chiridota impatiens sp. nov., is described from the intertidal zone of Okinawa, Japan, and C. rigida Semper, 1867 is also described from the intertidal zone of Wakayama, as new to Japan. C. impatiens sp. nov. is approximately 60–70 mm, with 12 tentacles and 4–7 pairs of digits per tentacle, red or reddish brown in living specimens. The tentacles contain curved rod ossicles, with spinous processes and many branches in C. rigida, however, in C. impatiens sp. nov., the curved rod ossicles are crescent-shaped, sometimes distally, with spinous processes and rarely a few branches on the circumference. In both species, the body wall contains flattened rod ossicles, mostly present along the longitudinal muscle and mesentery, curved rod ossicles primarily in the body wall, and wheel ossicles only in the wheel-papillae. In C. rigida, the contents of the wheel-papillae form a hemispherical sack-shaped structures, in which the teeth-side of the wheel ossicles mostly faces towards the outside of the body. In C. impatiens sp. nov., the contents of the wheel-papillae form a cord-shaped structure (present in both preserved and living specimens), in which the teeth-side of the wheel ossicles faces various directions, and that can be induced to break through the skin of the papillae if stimulated in living specimens.
... Distributions of sexually dimorphic ophiuroids with androphorous habit range from Suez to the Indo-west Pacific Ocean, including Mozambique (O. scripta: Koeler, 1904;Cherbonnier and Guille, 1978;Parameswaran et al., 2013), from Gulf of Tonkin to New Caledonia, including west Australia (O. formata: Koehler, 1905;Clark, 1938;Guille, 1981;Guille and Vadon, 1986;Liao and Clark, 1995), from the southwestern coast of the Arabian peninsula to southeastern Polynesia (O. materna: Koehler, 1930;Clark, 1938Clark, , 1939Clark, , 1946Clark and Rowe, 1971;Devaney, 1974). ...
We describe a new species of sexually dimorphic brittle star, Ophiodaphne spinosa, from Japan associated with the irregular sea urchin, Clypeaster japonicus based on its external morphology, and phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I). Females of this new species of Ophiodaphne are characterized mainly by the presence of wavy grooves on the surface of the radial shields, needle-like thorns on the oral skeletal jaw structures, and a low length-To-width ratio of the jaw angle in comparison with those of type specimens of its Ophiodaphne congeners: O. scripta, O. materna, and O. formata. A tabular key to the species characteristics of Ophiodaphne is provided. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species of Ophiodaphne, O. scripta, and O. formata are monophyletic. Our results indicate that the Japanese Ophiodaphne include both the new species and O. scripta, and that there are four Ophiodaphne species of sexually dimorphic brittle stars with androphorous habit.
The ubiquitous sea cucumber Holothuria (Thymiosycia) arenicola Semper, 1868, externally characterized by a double row of dark blotches of various sizes on its dorsal body wall and a cryptic behaviour, is generally assumed to have a wide tropical distribution, although it has not been reported from the Eastern Atlantic. Careful morphological examination, with emphasis on the ossicle assemblage, of type and non-type H. arenicola specimens sampled in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, its subjective synonyms and species with a similar colouration and habit, revealed that H. arenicola is often confused with other species. This paper formally separates the different species in the H. arenicola complex, one of them being a species new to science: Holothuria (Thymiosycia) kerriensis sp. nov. Additionally, we describe two other species that are often confused with H. arenicola: Holothuria (Lessonothuria) gracilis Semper, 1868 and H. (Thymiosycia) strigosa Selenka, 1867. The H. arenicola complex per se is keyed-out, with the ossicle assemblage of the musculature being recognised as an important, previously largely neglected, guide. This contribution highlights the importance of building and curating well-maintaned natural history collections to understand biodiversity through time and space.
Thirteen new records of Goniasteridae showing mesophotic occurrence are presented, including a new species of Pseudoceramaster doto n. sp. from southern Japan and a new genus and species, Churaumiastra hoshi nov. gen. nov. sp. which occurs in southern Japan, the Philippines and Western Australia.
Classification of the Class Echinoidea is under significant revision in light of emerging molecular phylogenetic evidence. In particular, the sister-group relationships within the superorder Luminacea (Echinoidea: Irregularia) have been considerably updated. However, the placement of many families remains largely unresolved due to a series of incongruent evidence obtained from morphological, paleontological, and genetic data for the majority of extant representatives. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic relationships of 25 taxa, belonging to eleven luminacean families. We proposed three new superfamilies: Astriclypeoidea, Mellitoidea, and Taiwanasteroidea (including Dendrasteridae, Taiwanasteridae, Scutellidae, and Echinarachniidae), instead of the currently recognized superfamily Scutelloidea Gray, 1825. In light of the new data obtained from ten additional species, the historical biogeography reconstructed shows that the tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans are the cradle for early sand dollar diversification. Hothouse conditions during the late Cretaceous and early Paleogene were coupled with diversification events of major clades of sand dollars. We also demonstrate that Taiwan fauna can play a key role in terms of understanding the major Cenozoic migration and dispersal events in the evolutionary history of Luminacea.
Holothuria scabra is one of the most intensively studied holothuroids, or sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), having been discussed in the literature since the early 19th century. The species is important for several reasons: (1) it is widely distributed and historically abundant in several shallow soft-bottom habitats throughout the Indo-Pacific, (2) it has a high commercial value on the Asian markets, where it is mainly sold as a dried product (beche-de-mer) and (3) it is the only tropical holothuroid species that can currently be mass-produced in hatcheries. Over 20 years have elapsed since the last comprehensive review on H. scabra published in 2001. Research on H. scabra has continued to accumulate, fuelled by intense commercial exploitation, and further declines in wild stocks over the entire distribution range. This review compiles data from over 950 publications pertaining to the biology, ecology, physiology, biochemical composition, aquaculture, fishery, processing and trade of H. scabra, presenting the most complete synthesis to date, including scientific papers and material published by local institutions and/or in foreign languages. The main goal of this project was to summarize and critically discuss the abundant literature on this species, making it more readily accessible to all stakeholders aiming to conduct fundamental and applied research on H. scabra, or wishing to develop aquaculture, stock enhancement and management programs across its geographic range.
Zoologist Péron and artist Lesueur, both members of the scientific staff of the Baudin expedition to the Southern Lands (September 1800-March 1804), collected during their voyage 36 different species of asteroids. This is what wrote Lamarck in a report made in June 1804. This number was clearly reduced by Lamarck himself who, in his 1816 publication, listed only 15 species from the South Seas in the Paris Museum collection. However, the different asteroids collected during the expedition were drawn by Lesueur (water colours and pencil drawings) who thus realised a real pictorial register. Lesueur's drawings are housed in the Le Havre Museum. Due to their realism and precision, the drawings make it easy to identify the species. Confrontation of Lamarck's report (1804) and publication (1816) with Lesueur's drawings (done between 1802 and 1804) gives a new, more precise idea of the importance of the collection of South Seas asteroids brought back to France and allows to reliably count the number of new species that it contained. Also, this makes it possible to complete the often too brief descriptions of some Lamarckian species and to clarify their status. Eleven taxonomic changes are thus proposed here: Asterias calcar var. quinqueangula is synonymized with Parvulastra exigua (Lamarck, 1816), Asterias calcitrapa var. 1 with Bollonaster pectinatus (Sladen, 1883), Asterias calcitrapa var. 2 with Astropecten vappaMüller & Troschel, 1843, Asterias nodosa var. 3 with Protoreaster lincki (Blainville, 1830), Asterias pentagonula with Tosia australisGray, 1840, Asterias pleyadella with Protoreaster sp., Asterias punctata with Asteropsis carinifera (Lamarck, 1816), Asterias rosacea var. lobis senis with Anseropoda sp., Asteriscus setaceus with Paranepanthia grandis (H. L. Clark, 1928), Astrogonium lamarckiiMüller & Troschel, 1842 with Goniaster tessellatus (Lamarck, 1816) and Asterias cuspidata is moved to the genus Mediaster Stimpson, 1857 as Mediaster cuspidatus (Lamarck, 1816) n. comb.
FISHING OR BREEDING. This question arose relatively recently, but in the last decade, mankind will have to lean more towards the second. Sea reserves of useful species are exhausted. One possible solution to this problem is marine farming. We proposed to investigate the larval development of three sea urchin species: Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778), D. savignyi (Audouin, 1829) (South China Sea), and Mesocentrotus nudus (A. Agassiz, 1864) (Japan Sea). The larvae of Diadema setosum and D. savignyi were very similar, and some differences could only be observed at the late pluteus stage. These sea urchins were developed through the modified pluteus, which only had two pairs of larval arms. The arms were very long - in D. setosum above 2 mm, and in D. savignyi about 5.5 mm. Larval development took about 45 days in D. setosum and 47–50 days in D. savignyi. In contrast, Mesocentrotus nudus (A. Agassiz, 1864) was developed through the pluteus larvae, which had some differences from the pluteus of the genus Strongylocentrotus. Their dimensions did not reach one millimetre. The larval development of Mesocentrotus nudus lasted about 30 days. Analysis of material and time costs has led to the conclusion that Mesocentrotus nudus is the most convenient for obtaining seed material. However, this species cannot be used for the tropical zone. The results of D. savignyi and D. setosum can be used to increase the number of cultivated species.
Japanese species of the genus Astrocladus (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea, Euryalida, Gorgonocephalidae) are reviewed. Astrocladus coniferus recently has two junior synonyms, A. dofleini Döderlein and A. pardalis Döderlein, however, status of these species has long been questioned. These species concepts have not been reviewed in recent years and no molecular phylogenetic analyses have been performed. Observations of the lectotype of A. coniferus , as well as the lectotype and four paralectotypes of A. dofleini and the holotype of A. pardalis have revealed that A. coniferus and A. pardalis are conspecific and morphologically distinguishable from A. dofleini . Astrocladus coniferus and A. dofleini are supported as distinct species by our molecular data. Additionally, we re-describe A. exiguus and A. annulatus , based on recently collected specimens and the holotype. We conclude that four species, A. annulatus , A. coniferus , A. dofleini , and A. exiguus are present in Japanese waters.
This paper provides the first descriptions of embryonic and larval development of the sea urchin Diadema savignyi (Audouin, 1809) (Diadematoida: Diadematidae). Diadema savignyi developed from relatively small eggs, 79.24 ± 6.37 µm. At 26–27°C, the embryonic development of D. savignyi took about 7 h until hatching from the fertilization envelope at the blastula stage and beginning of the larval life. Then the larvae went through the following stages of development: spherical blastula (7–12 h), gastrula and prism (23–31 h), pluteus with one pair of larval arms (48 h), pluteus with two pairs of larval arms (50–72 h), and late pluteus (14–18 d). In the late stages of larval development, the proportions of the larval body change greatly. The duration of development of D. savignyi from fertilization to the juvenile stage was 45–47 days. The larval development of D. savignyi and other species having the Echinopluteus transversus type of larvae, whose development was studied earlier, is reviewed and described on the basis of own data and those published previously in literature in order to compare the development of plutei within the family Diadematidae.
The ophiuroid species listed were collected by benthic faunal surveys from 2016 to 2018 in submarine caves of the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. The material includes 20 species from 8 families, Amphiuridae, Ophiocomi- dae, Ophiodermatidae, Ophiolepididae, Ophioleucidae, Ophiomyxidae, Ophionereididae and Ophiotrichidae. This is the first comprehensive report of submarine cave-dwelling ophiuroids from Japanese waters. Also provided is a rede- scription of a rare species, Dougaloplus echinatus (Ljungman, 1867), with a detailed description of its ossicle mor- phology. The species has previously been reported from Brazil, Australia, Eastern Indian Ocean to Southern China, in 11–118 m depth, and this is the first record of D. echinatus from Japanese waters. A brief discussion of the scarcity of submarine cave systems, and the need for their conservation, is provided.
During a faunistic survey on two shipwrecks in the northern Persian Gulf, several species of ophiuroid were collected in 2015 and 2016. Ophiactis modesta is reported for the first time in the Persian Gulf and Ophiothela venusta is re-described, because it has likely been misidentified in the past, possibly confused with Ophiopsammium semperi. Both species were epizoic: Ophiothela venusta was found on octocorals, Ophiactis modesta on sponges. Ophiothela venusta is characterized by often bright and striking colour patterns with banded arms and large irregular patches on the disc, varying between combinations of yellow, red, blue, orange, black and grey. Its dorsal disc and arms are covered by rugose granules that vary in size and density. In comparison, O. semperi has a denser cover of smaller granules and a subdued uniform colouration. Ophiactis modesta is a hexamerous, fissiparous species that may be mistaken for Ophiactis savignyi. It can be distinguished by its large round to oval oral papilla and its smaller radial shields.
Two new species in the genera Thyone and Havelockia are described and illustrated based upon specimens collected from off the southeastern Brazilian coast. Thyone florianoi sp. nov. is characterized by having two pillared body wall tables with four-holed discs and introvert with multilocular tables. Thyone crassidisca is recorded herein for the first time from the South Atlantic Ocean (Brazil). Havelockia mansoae sp. nov. is distinctive in having two pillared body wall tables with four-holed discs and introvert with plates. This is the first record of the genus Havelockia from Brazilian waters.
Fourteen species of euryalids are reported from collections made in the eastern and western Indian Ocean during the International Indian Ocean Expedition. Three new species are described: Astrocladus goodingi from the Comoro Islands, Astrocladus socotrana from the northwestern Indian Ocean near the island of Socotra, and Astrocyclus somaliensis from off northeastern Somalia. Range extensions are documented for Asteronyx luzonicus, Astroglymma sculptum, Astrocladus ludwigi, Asteromorpha capensis and Squamophis amamiensis.
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