Additions to the aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the east coast of southern Africa, with descriptions of new species

Abstract

Collections of holothuroid echinoderms received from the Natal and South African Museums, the Universities of Cape Town and Witwatersrand and that present in the former University of Durban-Westville, contain several new species and many others that are new to the fauna of southern Africa, south of the tropic of Capricorn. A paper describing and/or recording several dendrochirotids and a dactylochirotid, from a portion of these materials originating from the east coast of southern Africa, has already been published. The current paper describes and/or reports on several new species and records of aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids, also from the east coast, extending from Inhaca Island, off the coast of Maputo (Mozambique), to the Port St. Johns-East London area (South Africa), the subtropical zoogeographic province. A few other species have been included if they represent juvenile material, or considered extensions of ranges (bathymetric or otherwise) of previously known species, or confirmation of a species previously recorded from a single locality in the region under consideration, or for the provision of taxonomic data that was excluded for some previous published records. Of the 30 species treated, four are new to science and seven are new records for the southern African region. The new species are Holothuria (Lessonothuria) tuberculata, H. (Theelothuria) duoturriforma, H.(T.) longicosta and H. (T.) pseudonotablis, whereas the new records include Stichopus cf. monotuberculatus (Quoy & Gaimard), Actinopyga bannwarthi Panning, A. lecanora (Jaeger), Bohadschia marmorata (Jaeger), H. (Vaneyothuria) integra Koehler & Vaney, Molpadia triforia (Cherbonnier) and Protankyra autopista (Marenzeller).