Holothuria massaspicula Cherbonnier, 1954: 254; Cherbonnier, 1955: 146, pl. 33a-l; Daniel & Halder, 1974: 417
Holothuria (Holothuria) massaspicula; Rowe, 1969: 153; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 176; Price, 1982: 11; Samyn, 2003: 39.
Holothuria tubulosa; Erwe, 1919: 185 (non Holothuria tubulosa Gmelin 1788).
Type data: EcHh 586; Suez; coll. M. Letourneux, 1880; unknown depth; well preserved; poorly relaxed; ventro-longitudinal dissection.
Anatomical description: 145 mm long; 30-35 mm wide; bivium arched; trivium flattened; dorsal body wall clear beige to clear brown; ventral body wall white-beige; tentacle colour uniform beige; dorsal appendages brownish; ventral tube feet yellowish; dorsal and ventral tube feet dispersed all over surface; bivium and trivium separated by a prominent lateral fringe of appendages; body wall rough to the touch; body wall <1 mm thick; tentacles small, 20 counted; calcareous ring with quadrangular radial plates with slightly indented posterior side; interradial plates as wide as radial ones; radial plates up to twice as long as interradial ones; 20 small tentacle ampullae counted; number of Polian vesicles could not be determined; single stone canal observed; gonad not observed; longitudinal muscles bifid, wide and free at edges; Cuvierian tubules not observed.
Ossicle description: tentacles with rods of various sizes; large ones stout, rugose and perforated; dorsal body wall with tables with spiny disc perforated by 2-4 central holes and 0-1 ring of peripheral holes, with low spire ending in a spiny crown, very rugose buttons perforated with 4-6 pairs of holes; ventral body wall with very few tables and numerous rugose buttons perforated by 3-7 pairs of perforations; dorsal appendages with tables similar to those of body wall, elongated rugose buttons and rods perforated and widened distally and centrally; anal papillae with curved smooth, distally branching rods and button-like rods; longitudinal muscles of longitudinal and cloacal retractor muscles devoid of ossicles; ossicle assemblage of ventral tube feet, gonad, cloaca, respirartory tree, gut and rete mirabile was not assessed.
Known distribution: known only from the type locality (Suez).
Taxonomic decision: valid species (confirmed after re-examination of all the syntypes), belonging to the subgenus Holothuria.
For original description click here.
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