Holothuria (Cystipus) casoae a new species of sea cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the central-eastern Pacific Ocean

• Main Authors: Alfredo Laguarda-Figueras, Francisco A. Solís-Marín
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2009-09-01
• Series: Scientia Marina
• Subjects: echinodermata; holothuroidea; holothuria; new species; gulf of california; costa rica
• Online Access: http://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1086

Holothuria (Cystipus) casoae n. sp. is described from the central-eastern Pacific, from depths between 45 and 100 m. The main characters separating H. (C.) casoae from the rest of the species included in the subgenus Cystipus are the presence of a prominent fringe of 10 or more conical papillae along each side of the body and the presence of tables with a spinose rim, the pillars of the spire are short ending in a complex spiny crown with a small central circular opening. This new species is distinctive in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Cystipus, but shows some similarities to H. (C.) cubana Ludwig, 1875, H. (C.) inhabilis Selenka, 1867 and H. (C.) pseudofossor Deichmann, 1930.