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Type data: EcHh 3091; Station EH-196, St 250; South Reef Noumea (New Caledonia); 25 m depth; coll. Menou; 04.VII.1980; well preserved; well relaxed; ventro-longitudinal section; calcareous ring missing.

Anatomical description: 170 mm long; 40-60 mm wide; bivium arched; trivium flattened; position of mouth could not be determined; anus terminal; dorsal body wall beige-brown; ventral body wall beige-brown; tentacles white with tinge of green; dorsal appendages white; ventral tube feet white; dorsal appendages spread regularily over bivium; tube feet in trivium spread over complete area; bivium and trivium not separated by lateral fringe of appendages; body wall ±1 mm thick, rough to the touch; 16 tentacles counted; structure of the calcareous ring could not be determined; single short Polian vesicle; single short stone canal; gonad ramified; longitudinal muscles bifid, wide, attached at edges; respiratory trees longer than half of body length; cloaca 50 mm long; Cuvierian tubules present.

Ossicle description: tentacles with rods, bifurcating distally or with perforation, margins undulating; dorsal and ventral body wall with tables with smooth disc with one central hole and one ring of peripheral holes, 4 pillars ending in a narrow crown and smooth buttons with undulating rim and with generally perforated by three pairs of holes; dorsal appendages with irregular perforated plates and tables with very hig spire united by 8 or more cross-beams and ending in a small crow; ventral tube feet with buttons nd perforated plates and tables with high spire; longitudinal and cloacal retractor muscles, gonad, cloaca, respiratory tree and gut devoid of ossicles.

Known distribution: Noumea, Uimé Reef (New Caledonia).

Taxonomic decision: nomen inquirendum (to be compared with the holotype of H. samoana Ludwig, 1875).

Remarks: the species is characterised by its high tack lack tables of the dorsal and ventral appendages. These deposits remind of Theelothuria rather than Thymioscia. Cherbonnier & Féral (1984) noted that the species has highest affinity with H. samoana Ludwig, 1875. The latter Rowe (in Rowe & Gates, 1995) removed from Theelothuria to Platyperona. Rowe (in Rowe & Gates, 1995) considers H. altaturicula to be a junior subjective synonym of H. samoana Ludwig, 1875.

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Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) albofusca Cherbonnier, 1988: 114, fig. 46A-O; Samyn et al., 2001: 104, 107; Samyn & Massin, 2003: 2489, figs 1A-E, 11A, 12A-B (colour plate); Samyn, 2003: 45, 47; Thandar & Samyn, 2004: 255; Thandar, 2007:22, fig. 9.

Type data: EcHh 2770; Nossi-Bé, Navetsy (Madagascar); unknown depth; coll. G. Cherbonner; X/1959; well preserved; well relaxed; specimen non-dissected.

Anatomical description: 120 mm long; 10-25 mm wide; bivium arched; trivium flattened; mouth ventral; anus terminal; dorsal body wall dark brown; ventral body wall dark beige; tentacles grey-beige; dorsal appendages brown; ventral tube feet beige; dorsal appendages spread in indistinct rows over bivium; distribution of tube feet in trivium in distinct rows; bivium and trivium not separated by lateral fringe of appendages; body wall ±1 mm thick, rough to the touch; 18 tentacles counted; structure of the calcareous ring and its attached structures and the whole internal anatomy was not assessed.

Ossicle description: tentacles with smooth to slightly rough rods of various sizes; dorsal body wall with tables with smooth disc with 4 central and a single ring of peripheral holes, 4 pillars united by a single cross beam and a simple narrow crown and smooth buttons generally perforated by three pairs of holes; ventral body wall with similar deposits as those from the dorsal body wall;; dorsal appendages with tables, buttons and rods; ventral tube feet with tables, buttons and perforated plates;longitudinal muscles with O-shaped ossicles; ossicle assemblage of cloacal retractor muscles, gonad, cloaca, respiratory tree, rete mirabile and gut was not assessed.

Known distribution: Madagaascar (Nosy Bé), Republic of South Africa (KwaZula Natal).

Taxonomic decision: valid species (confirmed after re-examination of the holotype and paratype and other voucher specimens).

Remarks: a complete re-description of this species can be found in Samyn & Massin (2003: 2489).

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(SPECIMEN ON LOAN WHEN WE VISITED THE COLLECTION)

Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) albofusca Cherbonnier, 1988: 114, fig. 46A-O; Samyn et al., 2001: 104, 107; Samyn & Massin, 2003: 2489, figs 1A-E, 11A, 12A-B (colour plate); Samyn, 2003 : 45, 47; Thandar & Samyn, 2004: 255; Thandar, 2007:22, fig. 9.

Type data: EcHh 2753; Nossi-Bé (Madagascar); unknown depth; coll. G. Cherbonnier; X.1959; well preserved; well relaxed; unknown if dissected.

Anatomical description: to be made later.

Ossicle description: to be made later.

Known distribution: Madagaascar (Nosy Bé), Republic of South Africa (KwaZula Natal).

Taxonomic decision: valid species (confirmed after re-examination of the paratype (see below) and other voucher specimens).

Remarks: a complete re-description of this species can be found in Samyn & Massin (2003: 2489).

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Halodeima stocki Cherbonier, 1964: 202, fig. 1a-z.

Holothuria (Halodeima) stocki; Rowe, 1969: 138.

Type data: EcHh 404; off Parguera, 0,3 miles, Cayo caracolés (Puerto Rico); 30 m depth; coll. J.H. Stock; 1963; well preserved; poorly relaxed; ventro-longitudinal section; part of posterior end cut away.

Anatomical description: 63 mm long; 7.5-9 mm wide; bivium could not be discerned from trivium; complete body wall brownish, mottled with beige; tentacle color could not be determined; dorsal appendages could not be determined; ventral tube feet white to beige; spreading of dorsal and ventral appendages could not be assessed; body wall 1-4 mm thick, rough to the touch; number of tentacles could not be determined; structure of the calcareous ring and attached structures could not be determined; gonad not observed; longitudinal muscles bifid, wide and flat, free at part of edges; respiratory trees longer than half of body length; cloaca 4 mm long; Cuvierian tubules absent.

Ossicle description: tentacles with samll and large rods, smooth to slightly rugose distally; dorsal body wall with tables with reduced disc, four pillars united by a single cross beam and ending in a crown in the form of a Maltese cross; ossicle assemblage of ventral body wall was not assessed; ossicle assemblage of dorsal appendages was not assessed; ventral tube feet with rods perforated distally, tables similar to those from the body wall and endplate; longitudinal and cloacal retractor muscles, cloaca, respiratory tree and gut devoid of ossicles; ossicle assemblage of gonad and rete mirabile not assessed.

Known distribution: Cayo caracolés (Puerto Rico).

Taxonomic decision: valid species belonging to the genus Holothuria, subgenus Halodeima (confirmed after examination of both syntypes).

Remarks: this is the longest of the two syntypes; given that its calcareous ring and its attached structures have been cut away, it is best to consider it non name-bearing, and hence designate it as paralectotype.

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