Lipotrapeza eichleri O'Loughlin 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: O'Loughlin, P. Mark
name: Barmos, Shari
name: VandenSpiegel, Didier
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Echinodermata
Holothuroidea
Dendrochirotida
Phyllophoridae
Lipotrapeza
Lipotrapeza eichleri

description: Lipotrapeza eichleri O’Loughlin sp. nov.   
Figures 1a, b, 2  
 Material examined. Holotype. Victoria, Phillip I., Kitty Miller Bay, rocky shallows, M. O’Loughlin and J. Monagle, 20 Apr 1987, NMV F174906.   
Paratypes. Type locality and date, NMV F161502 (4); Westernport Bay, Phillip I., McHaffie Reef, sea-grass beds, J. Eichler and V. Stajsic, 1 Mar 2008, NMV F157403 (1).  
 Other material. Cape Paterson, 4 m, 13 Mar 2001, NMV F97432 (2); Westernport Bay, Shoreham, 16 Feb 1972, NMV F45265 (1); Honeysuckle reef, 21 Mar 1976, NMV F161493 (1); Port Phillip Bay, Point Lonsdale, J. Kershaw, Jan 1902, NMV F76558 (3); Portland, Anderson Point, 23 Feb 2007, NMV F125359 (1 juvenile).   
 Diagnosis. Up to 75 mm long, up to 25 mm diameter (preserved, tentacles withdrawn), cylindrical body, narrow rounded oral and anal ends, thin firm body wall minutely papillate; external anal scales not detected; 20 tentacles, 5 large pairs, alternating with 5 small pairs; complete cover of tube feet, crowded ventrally, scattered dorsally, diameter about 0.5 mm; calcareous ring with 10 posterior composite tapering projections arising from both radial and inter-radial plates, posterior ends free thin tails, ring not tubular, length of plates with anterior projections sub-equal with posterior composite prolongations, form of the plates and composite components variable; short stone canal, madreporite close to vascular ring; 1–3 tubular polian vesicles, variable lengths; longitudinal muscles flat, lacking longitudinal indentation centrally; gonad tubules arise in series along gonoduct on each side of dorsal mesentery, tubules not branched.   
 Adult mid-body wall lacking ossicles; tube foot ossicles endplates and support rods only; endplates with denticulate margin, irregular perforations similar size, diameters up to 480 µ m; tube foot support ossicles predominantly dumbbell-shaped, enlarged distally, perforate, denticulate margin, up to 192 µ m long; peri-oral region with abundant rosettes about 40 µ m long; tentacles with rods and rosettes, larger rods dumbbell-shaped with small perforations and denticulate margin distally, up to 208 µ m long, few small rosettes up to 40 µ m long; anal ossicles tube foot endplates and support rods, tentacle-like rods, rosettes, some large up to 64 µ m long.   
 Juvenile (5 mm long) with mid-body wall tables and tube foot endplates and support rods; tables with irregular discs up to 60 µ m long, short irregular 4-pillared spires; endplates up to 180 µ m diameter, dumbbell-shaped endplate support rods up to 240 µ m long.   
 Colour (preserved). Body dark brown to grey-brown with variable red colouration, dark grey-brown oral end, white anal end; many tube feet red; tentacles pale brown.   
 Distribution. South-east Australia, Victoria, Cape Paterson to Portland, rocky shallows and sea-grass, 0– 4 m.   
 Etymology. Named for John Eichler, with appreciation of his contribution to Museum Victoria through the MRG, and his discovery and field photograph of a paratype of this new species.   
 Remarks. We note that unlike the other two species of Lipotrapeza H. L. Clark, 1938 the large and small pairs of tentacles in Lipotrapeza eichleri O’Loughlin sp. nov. alternate in one series, not inner and outer series. Lipotrapeza eichleri is distinguished from other Lipotrapeza species in the key (above).
description: Published as part of O'Loughlin, P. Mark, Barmos, Shari & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2012, The phyllophorid sea cucumbers of southern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida: Phyllophoridae), pp. 269-308 in Memoirs of Museum Victoria 69 on pages 272-275, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2012.69.05, http://zenodo.org/record/12212378