Thyone spenceri 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
Thyone
Thyone spenceri

description: Thyone spenceri O’Loughlin sp. nov.   
Figures 17e, 23  
 Material examined. Holotype. South Australia, Upper Spencer Gulf, Backy Point – West, 32º50'S 137º50.52'E, 18 m, SA Fisheries Department, Sep 1987, SAM K2562 (ring, tentacle crown, anterior part of body wall).   
Paratype. Upper Spencer Gulf, Port Bonython, 33º01'S 137º45'E, 15 m, SA Fisheries Department, Sep 1987, SAM K2565 (1, ring, tentacle crown, anterior part of body wall).  
 Diagnosis. Anterior body and calcareous ring 13 mm long (preserved), body wall soft; 10 tentacles, 8 large 2 ventral small; complete close cover of small tube feet; calcareous ring composite, tubular, posterior ends of composite plates not joined; radial plates tapered anterior with terminal split, long paired composite posterior prolongations separated for most of length, narrowing and further divided distally for about a quarter of total plate length, not joined; inter-radial plates composite, tapered to anterior point, truncate posteriorly; stone canal attached to alimentary canal mesentery, ‘split-pea’ madreporite form; single polian vesicle.   
 Anterior body wall with abundant tables, tables regular, discs round to oval to triangular, up to 96 µ m long, 2 large central perforations, smaller perforations nearer margin, predominantly 40–50 small perforations, spires with 2 pillars, 24 µ m long, 2 tapered ends distally; some table discs rosettelike; some table discs curved for tube foot support; tentacles with abundant perforated plates, rosettes; plates variable in shape, some plates narrow, elongate with large perforations and distal blunt teeth, sometimes small branches along margin of plate, plates up to 280 µ m long, some plates cross-shaped with perforate arms, some plates oval with four large central perforations, smaller surrounding ones and distal blunt teeth, plates up to 160 µ m long, some plates curved with denticulate margin and numerous small perforations, plates up to 120 µ m long; rosettes oval, up to 88 µ m long; peri-oral body wall with tables and rods; tables with 2 spires, discs with 2 central large perforations, small perforations between central large ones and disc margin, each disc with up to more than 30 small perforations, discs about 104 µ m long; peri-oral ossicles irregular wide perforated rods, up to 272 µ m long, sometimes crosses.   
 Colour (preserved). Body off-white; tentacles brown with dark brown to black markings.   
 Distribution. South Australia, Upper Spencer Gulf, 15– 18 m.   
 Etymology. Named with reference to Spencer Gulf in South Australia where the type specimens were collected.   
 Remarks. Both the holotype and paratype of Thyone spenceri O’Loughlin sp. nov. are damaged and most of the body wall has been lost. But there are good morphological systematic characters for the erection of this new Thyone Oken species. Thyone spenceri is distinguished from other southern Australian Thyone 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 303-306, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2012.69.05, http://zenodo.org/record/12212378