Stalked crinoids from Tasmanian seamounts. Part 1: Hyocrinidae

Abstract

Faunal investigations conducted in 1997 on southern Tasmania seamounts, produced 10 specimens of stalked crinoids belonging to the family Hyocrinidae. These are the first hyocrinids to be recorded from this area. Three new species are described: Feracrinus koslowi sp. nov., Ptilocrinus tasmaniaensis sp. nov. and Ptilocrinus australis sp. nov. New data show that three previously described species should be referred to a single species Feracrinus aculeatus Mironov and Sorokina, 1998 and the genus Camaecrinus Mironov and Sorokina, 1998 becomes a junior synonym of Feracrinus. Although they have close affinities, the two species belonging to the genus Feracrinus live in different areas of the western Pacific. Ptilocrinus tasmaniaensis sp. nov. and P. australis sp nov. are the shallowest known species in the genus Ptilocrinus (sensu stricto). There is no evidence of endemism in hyocrinids living on south Tasmania seamounts.

Keywords:

• Echinodermata
• Hyocrinidae
• taxonomy
• new species
• seamounts

Acknowledgements

We thank Anthony Koslow for inviting N. Améziane on the Cruise SS9701 that recovered most of the material and for making it available for study. The 1997 survey was conducted by CSIRO Marine Research with funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and Environment Australia (now the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts). We are grateful to all participants on Cruise SS9701 and the captain, fishing master, and crew of Southern Surveyor. Special thanks to K. Gowlett-Holmes and F. McEnnulty for their help. Thanks are due to T. Laperousaz (South Australian Museum) for access to the collections housed in the South Australian Museum. We also thank M. Grasset (SEM, University P. and M. Curie, Paris VI), G. Mascarel (SEM, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle MNHN, Paris), X. Drothière (University of Reims), M. Hautecoeur and D. Geffard (MNHN) for technical assistance.