New psychropotid species (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea, Elasipodida) of the Western Pacific with phylogenetic analyses.

ABSTRACT: Holothurians of the family Psychropotidae are widely distributed but remain the least studied deep-sea holothurians. On an expedition to the Western Pacific, six psychropotid specimens were collected by the Jiaolong Human Operated Vehicle (HOV). Through morphological examination, four of them were identified as a new species, Benthodytesjiaolongi sp. nov., which was characterized as having minute papillae, a narrow brim, and a terminal anus; and the ossicles were rods and primary crosses. The remaining two specimens were identified as Psychropotesverrucicaudatus Xiao, Gong, Kou & Li, 2019, first recorded at the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The phylogenetic analysis showed that B.jiaolongi sp. nov. and P.verrucicaudatus were embedded in the clades Benthod

SUBMITTER: Yu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8927086 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature