Species Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz, 1825

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz, J.F. von 1825. Bericht über die zoologische Ausbeute der Reise von Kronstadt bis St. Peter - und Paul. Isis von Oken, Jena 16(sect. 1, pt 6): 733–738 [740].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Wotje Atoll (as Otdia Atoll), Marshall Is.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Central E coast, QLD; tropical, subtropical.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IMCRA

Cocos (Keeling) Island Province (22), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Central E coast
  • Queensland: Central E coast, NE coast
  • Western Australia: Central W coast
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Aust. Terr.)

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, detritivore, filter-feeder, littoral, mangroves, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

Burrowing in sand and silt, lower intertidal, reef flats, under coral boulders, in crevices.

 

General References

Burdon-Jones, C. 1998. Hemichordata. pp. 1-50 in Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 34. Hemichordata, Tunicata, Cephalochordata. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia 298 pp. (Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz is readily distinguished from other Australian ptychoderids by the transverse folds and indented margins of the large hepatic caecae, and the single or multiple tuberose outgrowths at the base of the proboscis stalk. It is a very variable species, subject to regional and age-related variations in its external characters. Three species, seven varieties, and three subspecies have been described and two nomina nuda created. All were synonymised by Van der Horst, C.J. 1939. Hemichordata. pp. 1–737 in Bronn, H.G. (ed). Die Klassen und Ordnungen des Tier-Reichs. Leipzig : Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft M.B.H. Vol. 4(2) . [published 1927–1939] [720–724]. Some specimens, which resemble the macrobranchiate and microbranchiate forms of Willey, A. 1899. Enteropneusta from the South Pacific with notes on the West Indian species. Willey's Zoological Results 3: 223–334 [228] could be the outcome of fragmentation and regeneration which occurs frequently in this family. The Atlantic species Ptychodera bahamensis Spengel, 1893, is smaller but has the same features as P. flava. However, its larvae are different, so it is regarded as a separate species pending further studies on larval and adult variability (Van der Horst op. cit.) within Atlantic and Indo-Pacific populations)

Dakin, W.J. 1916. A new species of Enteropneusta Ptychodera pelsarti, from the Abrolhos Islands. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology Zool. 33: 85-100 [87-98] (first record of Ptychodera in Australia)

Nishikawa, T. 1977. Preliminary report on the biology of the Enteropneust, Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz in the vicinity of Kushimoto, Japan. Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 23(6): 393-419 (habitat, geographical distribution, external features, regeneration, population composition)

Trewavas, E. 1931. Enteropneusta. Scientific Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928-1929 4(2): 39-67 [40-46] (anatomy, Great Barrier Reef specimens, species variation, tornaria larvae)

Uribe, M.E. & Lorrain, A.P. 1992. Biological studies on the enteropneust Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz, 1825, from Concepcion Bay, Chile. 1. Morphological and ecological features. Gayana Zoologia, Concepcion 56(3, 4): 141-180 (first record from the SE Pacific, also key to Harrimaniidae, Spengeliidae and Ptychoderidae, and to the genera, Balanoglossus, Glossobalanus and Ptychodera)

van der Horst, C.J. 1930. Observations on some Enteropneusta. Papers from Dr. Mortensen's Pacific Expedition 1914–1916. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening i Kjøbenhavn 87: 135-200 [195-199] (variability of species, internal anatomy)

van der Horst, C.J. 1939. Hemichordata. pp. 1-737 in Bronn, H.G. (ed.). Die Klassen und Ordnungen des Tier-Reichs. Leipzig : Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft M.B.H. Vol. 4(2). [published 1927–1939] [720-724] (synonymy, anatomy, biogeography, species variation)

Willey, A. 1899. Enteropneusta from the South Pacific with notes on the West Indian species. Willey's Zoological Results 3: 223-334 [228]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)