Psychropotes

Psychropotes is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psychropotidae. All members of this genus possess the ability to swim, although this is only facultative.

Psychropotes
Psychropotes sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Subphylum:
Echinozoa
Class:
Holothuroidea
Order:
Elasipodida
Family:
Psychropotidae
Genus:
Psychropotes

Théel, 1882[1]

Description

As an adult, Psychropotes is roughly cylindrical in shape and red to violet in colour. It has a sail-like appendage which it is able to use for swimming during its larval stage, but it is no longer needed when it is fully grown. Psychropotes larvae are benthopelagic and swim around using the aforementioned appendage, however researchers are still trying to understand its use when the holothurian is fully grown. Larvae are transparent and can grow to around 2 cm long.

Species

Species in the genus include:[2]

  • Psychropotes belyaevi Hansen, 1975
  • Psychropotes depressa (Théel, 1882)
  • Psychropotes hyalinus Pawson, 1985
  • Psychropotes longicauda Théel, 1882
  • Psychropotes loveni Théel, 1882
  • Psychropotes minuta (Koehler & Vaney, 1905)
  • Psychropotes mirabilis Hansen, 1975
  • Psychropotes scotiae (Vaney, 1908)
  • Psychropotes semperiana Théel, 1882
  • Psychropotes verrucosa (Ludwig, 1894)
  • Psychropotes xenochromata Rogacheva & Billett, 2009
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References
  1. Théel H. (1882). "Report on the Holothuroidea dredged by H.M.S. 'Challenger' during the years 1873-76. Part i." Challenger Reports, Zool. iv: 176 pp.
  2. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123532 accessed 13 November 2010
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