A review of the cucumariid genus Psolidiella Mortensen (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea)

Abstract

O'Loughlin, P.M., 2000. A review of the cucumariid genus Psolidiella Mortensen (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 58(1): 25-37.The holothurian cucumariid genus Psolidiella Mortensen is reviewed. Psolidiella hickmani sp. nov. and Psolidiella maculosa sp. nov. are described from southern Australia. Psolidiella adhaerens Hickman is synonymised with Psolidiella nigra Mortensen. P. nigra and P. hickmani are external brood-protecting species. The genus Psolidiella is restricted to New Zealand and southern Australia. A key is provided for the described species of Psolidiella.

Australian species of Psolidium Ludwig (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Psolidae)

“…In these three cucumariid genera and species the posterior intestinal mesentery is attached to the left of the midventral radial muscle, supporting Mortensen (1925) and contradicting Deichmann (1941). O'Loughlin (2000) illustrated this position for the genus Psolidiella. Pawson (1968a) described a right attachment for the cucumariid species Pseudopsolus macquariensis (Dendy, 1896), and Ludwig and Heding (1935) reported a right attachment for their cucumariid species Pseudocholchirus mollis, supporting Deichmann (1941).…”

“…Pawson (1967) noted diffi culty with the Psolidae in determining whether or not some species should be considered psolids or referred to another dendrochirotid family. The cucumariid genera Pseudopsolus (see Pawson, 1968a), Apsolidium and Neocnus (see O'Loughlin and O'Hara, 1992), and Psolidiella (see O'Loughlin, 2000) include species with a sole that is not delimited by a distinct junction of ventro-lateral body wall scales with a thin-walled sole lacking scales, and lack conspicuous imbricating dorsal and lateral scales. None has been referred to Psolidae.…”

The New Zealand Cucumariidae (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea)

“…For these reasons the authors have chosen to act under the "Principle of the First Reviser" [ICZN Article 24(a)] and make C. bollonsi a junior synonym of P. nigra although C. bollonsi has page precedence over P. nigra in Mortensen (1925). O'Loughlin (1994) has described the brood-protecting habit of P. nigra, and has observed this species in south-eastern Australia (O'Loughlin, 2000). …”

New cucumariid species from southern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida: Cucumariidae)

“…Most of the southern Australian cucumariid species occur in temperate waters only. Plesiocolochirus ignavus (Ludwig, 1875) was described from South Australia, Staurothyone inconspicua (Bell, 1887) and Cucumella mutans (Joshua, 1914) from Victoria, Staurothyone vercoi (Joshua and Creed, 1915) from South Australia, and Amphicyclus mortenseni Heding and Panning, 1954 and Neoamphicyclus lividus Hickman, 1962 from Tasmania.O'Loughlin andO'Hara (1992) O'Loughlin (2000) added the new species Psolidiella hickmani from south-eastern Australia and Psolidiella maculosa from south-western Australia, and reported the New Zealand species Psolidiella nigra Mortensen, 1925 from the eastern coast of southern Australia. Two new species have been distinguished here from the closely related ones Cucumella mutans (Joshua) and Neoamphicyclus lividus Hickman, and an associated generic revision has been undertaken.…”