Showing papers on "Holothuria published in 1978"

Growth and Size of the Tropical Sea Cucumber Holothuria (Halodeima) atra Jager at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands

Abstract: In September 1975, 5031 sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra Jager) were tagged with tetracycline and returned to a gutter on the seaward reef bench of Ananij Island, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. A sample of 184 individuals was collected in September 1976. Animals were dissected and plates of the calcareous ring were examined with ultraviolet radiation for tetracycline lines. Based on 18 tagged individuals, the Brody-Bertalanffy growth constants are: K = 0.11 and P00 = 0.89 cm (for interradial plates). Length (L, cm) and weight (W, g) of individuals are related to plate size: L = 36.35P and W = 1950P3, giving maximum size as 32 cm and 1352 g. Length frequency distributions for the population did not change from 1975 to 1976. A preliminary estimate of annual loss is 50 to 70 percent of the total population based on the growth parameters and population size structure. Holothuria atra shows asexual reproduction by transverse fission, which appears to be the major source of recruitment at Ananij rather than from the plankton. ON MANY TROPICAL REEFS, sea cucumbers are tion to a technique that shows some promise abundant and may attain densities in excess as a means ofstudying growth ofholothurians of 200/m2 (Bakus 1968). But they are very and so, somewhat indirectly, of estimating difficult to study as populations and very few mortality and population turnover. The estimates of growth and death rates of holoexperimental animal was Holothuria (Halothurians are in the literature. Edwards (1908) deima) atra Jager, an abundant and widely presents growth data for newly metamordistributed Indo-Pacific aspidochirote, which phosed Holothuria floridana Pourtales, but was studied at Ananij Island, Enewetak Atoll only up to a size of 4 mm and an age of 75 (11°28' N, 162°24' E). A second purpose of days under laboratory conditions. Rutherthis paper is to present information about ford (1973) presents growth data of newly growth, death, and size for this species. recruited Cucumaria pseudocurata to an age Holothuria atra is very abundant at certain of 1 year and gives estimates of loss rate for areas of Enewetak Atoll. Bakus (1973) shows animals less than I year old. Fish (1967) and a picture with a density of 5 to 35 individuals Buchanan (1967) discuss growth and mor1m at what he calls Anayaanii Island. This tality of Cucumaria elongata and calculate is the same island Johannes et al. (1972) call rates based on data for animals of many Japtan and which is now called Ananij. ages. Military charts list this island as Bruce. The ___--"T~h=e_I2UrI2_QSLQLthis-papeLis-to-cal-l-att~n-aFl'}a-w-hefe-eueumbers-were-studtetl seems to be the same area illustrated by Bakus (1973); it is a reef gutter on the seaward side of Ananij. The vegetated portion of Ananij is narrow at the southern end and has an enclosed inlet on the seaward side bordered by the main part of the island on the north and by a narrow peninsula of vegetated land (covered nearly exclusively by Pemphis aci-

A new subspecies of Holothuria lentiginosa Marenzeller from the Western Atlantic Ocean (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Abstract: —Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa enodis new subspecies is described from the Florida-Cuba area. The species is amphi-Atlantic in depths of 69-450 m. In southeast Florida, one population of the new subspecies is closely associated with a reef of the scleractinian coral Oculina varicosa. The common western Atlantic pearlfish, Carapus bermudensis, is an inquiline of this holothurian. During the course of diving operations with the submersibles JohnsonSea-Link I and II, staff members of the Harbor Branch Foundation, Inc. found a large population of an aspidochirote sea cucumber around a reef of the scleractinian coral Oculina varicosa Lesueur at a depth of 75-80 m. The reef is located off Fort Pierce, Florida. We first observed the population from the Johnson-Sea-Link II during August, 1977, and studies of ecology and reproductive biology were begun at that time. The holothurians are described here as a new subspecies of Holothuria ( Vaneyothuria ) lentiginosa Marenzeller. Some notes on its distribution and habitat preferences are included, together with some information on behavior in an aquarium of the pearlfish, Carapus bermudensis ( Jones ) , which was found in association with the holothurians. Holothuria lentiginosa s.l. has been reported from several localities in the eastern Atlantic (see below). In the western Atlantic, Deichmann (1940) first recorded the species off Cuba, and gave a brief description. She indicated that her specimens were similar to the eastern Atlantic form in many respects; the only difference she noted was that many of the tables in the body wall "have a smooth instead of a dentate margin" (p. 197). After examination of numerous specimens from off Florida, Deichmann's specimens, and material from the eastern Atlantic, we find that there are several consistent differences that warrant separation of the 2 populations at the subspecies level. They may be distinct species, but as they are obviously closely related and definitely allopatric, it would seem the wiser course to regard them as subspecies rather than species. Order Aspidochirotida Family Holothuriidae Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa Marenzeller Diagnosis. —Tentacles 20. Body more or less cylindrical, with flattened ventral surface; up to 50 cm long. Ossicles include delicate tables with spire VOLUME91, NUMBER4 913 of moderate height and disc with spinose to smooth margin. Spire ends in few teeth, forming irregular Maltese cross. Buttons with 2-5 pairs of perforations, either flat and relatively smooth or twisted. Color variable, pale ventrally, brownish to light reddish dorsally. Internally, one stone canal, one polian vesicle. Type-specimen. —Monaco (according to Deichmann, 1940). Type-locality. —Strait of Pico-Fayal, Azores, 130 meters ( Marenzeller, 1893). Remarks. —Rowe (1969) included 5 species under the subgenus Vaneyothuria, and noted in his remarks that perhaps 2 of the species are synonyms. Until now, only H. (V.) zacae Deichmann from the Gulf of California, southern California and the Galapagos Islands was known to possess large dark brown blotches in a double row along the dorsal surface. H. (y.) lentiginosa lentiginosa Marenzeller Fig. 4C-D Holothuria lentiginosa Marenzeller, 1893:6, pi. I Fig. 1, pi. II Fig. la-b. —Herouard, 1929:53, 63.—Panning, 1934:82, Fig. 68; 1939:532, Figs. 5-6. —Cherbonnier, 1958:371; 1965:13, pi. II Figs. k-m. Holothuria pardalis var. lentiginosa. —Bedford, 1899:143. Vaneyothuria lentiginosa. —Deichmann, 1958:307 (in part). Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) lentiginosa. —Rowe, 1969:151. Diagnosis. —Dorsally light brown to light reddish, fading to paler color or whitish ventrally. Usually lateral margin of body carries 10-18 conspicuous retractile papillae. Discs of tables 50-100 /xm in diameter, conspicuously dentate; tables with smooth discs rare. Buttons 45-60 ju,m long, strongly contorted, frequently with obliterated or incomplete perforations. Tentacles with extremely numerous small rods of 15 /xm minimum length, and less numerous larger rods with coarse prickles along their length. Distribution. —Azores (Marenzeller, 1893), Morocco (Herouard, 1929; Panning, 1939), Congo-Angola area, several localities (Cherbonnier, 1965), Sierra Leone (Cherbonnier, 1958). Depth range. —100-250 meters. Remarks. —This subspecies can vary in color to some extent. In Marenzeller s (1893) original description the color figure shows that the dorsal surface was light brown to pinkish with medium brown bases to the small papillae; the ventral surface was pinkish to dirty white. Herouard (1929) described the color as light brown dorsally with brown "points," and white ventrally, with chestnut-colored tubercles. Cherbonnier (1958) noted that the dorsolateral areas of his specimen were greenish-yellow, and he later (1965) described another group of specimens as having whitish-yellow ventral surfaces with scattered dark red spots, and dorsal surfaces brownish914 PROCEEDINGSOF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON ^^A? '-.fry,.. •li^.^.^^Wfh^^ Fig. 1. Holothuria (V.) lentiginosa enodis. Dorsal ( upper figure ) and ventral (lower) aspects of a live specimen 195 mmlong. red with white spots. Further information on details of color can be obtained from the publications mentioned above. Material examined.— Dana Sta. 4021, 8°56'W, 33°28'N, 205-235 m, 31 March 1930, 1 specimen (Panning, 1939). Coast of Morocco, collected by Mr. G. Belloc, October 1923, 1 specimen (identified by G. Cherbonnier). H. (V.) lentiginosa enodis new subspecies Figs. 1-3, 4A-B Holothuria lentiginosa.— Deichmann, 1940:196, pi. 33 Figs. 1-7; 1954:391. Vaneijothuria lentiginosa. —Deichmann, 1958:307 (in part). VOLUME91, NUMBER4 915 Diagnosis. —Dorsally light to very dark brown with 2 longitudinal rows of 5-10 pairs of conspicuous dark brown blotches approximately 7-10 mmin diameter; ventrally usually white to light tan. Discs of tables 45-100 /xm in diameter, slightly dentate to smooth. Buttons 45-105 /xm long, irregular, often incomplete, but seldom strongly contorted. Rods in tentacles usually more than 200 fim long, with minute spines, often confined to extremities. Type-specimens. —National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Holotype USNME17291, length 135 mm, R/V Johnson Cruise 053, Dive No. JSL 2053 10 April 1978, 27°32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 79.3 m, silty sand, 14.2°C, collected by R. Jones. Paratypes USNME17292, 5 specimens, length 150, 155, 130, 135, 110 mm, same locality data as holotype. Paratypes, Harbor Branch Foundation —Smithsonian Institution Reference Museum, Fort Pierce, Florida, S.I.F.P. 71:064, 4 specimens, length 170, 130, 130, 100 mm, R/V Johnson Cruise 049, Dive No. 2279, 7 November 1977, 27° 32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 76.1 m, silty sand, 21.8°C, collected by J. Miller. Other material examined. —University of Miami, R/V Gerda Sta. 232, 25° 37'N, 79°21'W, 439-421 m, 29/30 January 1964, 1 specimen; R/V Gerda Sta. 568, 24°23'N, 82°53'W, 90 m, 12 April 1965, 1 specimen. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Cat. No. 2014, Cuba, Santa Clara Province, Bahia de Cochinosa, 200-255 fathoms, 1 specimen (all of the above identified as H. lentiginosa by E. Deichmann). R/V Johnson Cruise 025, Dive No. JSL 2099, 16 September 1976, 27° 33.2'N, 79°58.8'W, 76.1 m, silty sand, 1 specimen, S.I.F.P. 71:065 collected by R. Avent; R/V Johnson Cruise 031, Dive No. JSL 2149, 23 November 1976, 27°32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 77.7 m, silty sand, 1 specimen, S.I.F.P. 71:066 collected by F. Stanton; R/V Johnson Cruise 038, Dive No. JSL 2163A, 7 February 1977, 27°32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 80 m, 1 specimen, S.I.F.P. 71:067 collected by F. Stanton; R/V Johnson Cruise 049, Dive No. JSL 2279, 7 November 1977, 27°32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 76.1 m, silty sand, bottom temperature 21.8°C, 3 specimens, S.I.F.P. 71:068 collected by J. Miller; R/V Johnson Cruise 049, Dive No. JSL 2282, 9 November 1977, 27°32.8'N, 79°58.8'W, 80.1 m, silty sand, bottom temperature 3.6° C, 13 specimens, S.I.F.P. 71:069 collected by J. Reed. R/V Gosnold Cruise 246, Sta. 697, 6 September 1974, 27°49.5'N, 79° 57.8'W, 69 m, 1 specimen, S.I.F.P. 71:070 collected by R. Avent. Distribution. —Southwest Cuba (Deichmann, 1940), Florida Straits (University of Miami collections), southeast Florida (present study). Depth range. —69-450 m. Description. —Total length 15-30 cm, average 20 cm. Body 4-8 times as long as broad, cylindrical, with flattened sole. Mouth subterminal, directed ventrally and surrounded by ring of 35-50 papillae. Anus terminal, directed dorsally. Body wall thick, extremely rigid when contracted. Pedicels 916 PROCEEDINGSOF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Fig. 2. Holothuria ( V. ) lentiginosa enodis photographed from submersible JohnsonSea-Link II on seafloor at type-locality. Note small scattered heads of Oculina varicosa. In right photograph, dark object at bottom is manipulator arm of submersible, used to collect the holothurians. numerous, scattered over entire surface, dorsally as pointed papillate podia situated on low warts, ventrally as cylindrical locomotory podia. Radii indistinct. All podia fully contractile and capable of extension to length of 5-7 mm. Ventrolateral podia indistinguishable from others. Tentacles 20 (19 not uncommon), equal, shield-shaped, each frond composed of 9-12 fleshy lobes. Dorsal body wall light to very dark brown with 2 longitudinal rows of conspicuous dark brown blotches approximately 7-10 mmin diameter ( Fig. 1 ) . Usually 5-7 pairs of spots, occasionally up to 10 pairs found. On living specimens a large papillate podium prominent in center of each spot. Ventral body wall usually white to light tan; a darker mid-ventral line runs from mouth to anus. Specimens with darker dorsal coloration also darker ventrally. Dorsal podia dark brown, with white ring around base; ventral podia light to dark brown with white sucking discs. Calcareous ring moderately strong, radial pieces wider than interradials, each with small anterior notch (Fig. 3A); interradials with