The genus Labidodemas (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirotida) revisited, with description of three new species and with re-positioning of Holothuria (Irenothuria) maccullochi Deichmann, 1958

Abstract

Prior to the present revision the taxon Labidodemas comprised Labidodemas americanum, L. pertinax, L. rugosum and L. semperianum. An up-to-date re-evaluation of the group proved that at least four additional species need to be assigned to it. Three of these are new to science: one has recently been discovered in the shallow waters of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa; one originates from Low Island, Australia, and was erroneously identified as L. semperianum, and one stems from South-West Sulawesi, again erroneously identified as L. semperianum. In addition, Holothuria maccullochi, classified in the monotypic subgenus Irenothuria, and Holothuria proceraspina are assigned to Labidodemas; the former as a valid species and the latter as a synonym of L. semperianum. Annotated taxonomic descriptions, distribution maps and an identification key are given. The new observation that L. americanum possesses Cuvierian tubules suggests that its rank remains at generic level rather than at family level as was recently proposed.

Keywords:

• Holothuroidea
• Holothuriidae
• Labidodematidae
• Labidodemas
• Holothuria (Irenothuria) maccullochi
• new species
• new combination
• systematics

Acknowledgements

It is with great pleasure that we thank Drs F. W. E. Rowe and D. Pawson for critically reviewing this manuscript. This work would not have been possible without the kind help of many of our colleagues in different museums worldwide. It is with great pleasure that we thank Dr J. F. Bertrand (MCZ, Massachusetts), Dr S. Halsey (NHM, London), Dr G. Hendler (NHM LAC, Los Angeles), Dr C. Ahearn (USNM, Washington, DC), Dr Maya-Best (RMNH, Leiden) and Dr A. Laguarda Figueras (ICML-UNAM, Mexico) for sending us type and non-type material of several species; sincere thanks also to Dr H. Ruhberg and Mr P. Stewie for welcoming one of us (Y.S.) at the ZMH. Financial support came from the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (project number G.0086.96), the Ministry of the Flemish Community (project number BIL98/84 and BIL01/46) and the Research Council of the Free University of Brussels (travel grants to Kenya and the Republic of South Africa).