Genus Cercodemas Selenka, 1867

Museums

Regional Maps

• Cercodemas Selenka, E. 1867. Beiträge zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien. Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Zoologie 17: 291-374 pls 17-20 [343].

  Type species:

   Cercodemas anceps Selenka, 1867 by monotypy.

 

Introduction

Rowe, in Rowe & Gates (1995) raised Cercodemas from synonymy, based on the following features: body wall dorsally arched with tube feet in tuberculiform papillae; body wall ossicles including fenestrated spheres and deep 'baskets' with a basic quadri-locular design; tentacles 10, the two ventral-most, smaller. The universal use of the generic name Pentacta Goldfuss, 1820 (type species Pentacta doliolum (Pallus, 1766) by monotypy), as adopted by and used since H.L. Clark (1923) was rejected. The body form of the type species, Pentacta doliolum (with tube feet restricted to the ventral ambulacra but scattered dorsally, body wall ossicles comprising multi-locular knobbed plates and shallow rugose 'baskets' with a basic quadri-locular design and 10 tentacles of more or less equal size) does not accord with the majority of its supposed congeners. Pentacta sensu stricto may well be restricted to South African waters; it includes with certainty, besides the type species, Pentacta capensis Theel, 1886). The type species, and others included in Cercodemas Selenka, 1877, Colochirus Troschel, 1846 and Plesiocolochirus Cherbonnier, 1946, are not considered congeneric with Pentacta doliolum as supposed by H.L. Clark (1946), and many previous and subsequent authors

 

Distribution

States

Queensland, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), 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
  • 200 m bathymetric: Central E coast, Central W coast, Great Australian Bight, Lower W coast, N coast, NE coast, NW coast, SW coast

Oriental Region

• West Pacific Ocean

General References

Clark, H.L. 1923. The echinoderm fauna of South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum 13(7): 221-435 figs 1-4 pls 8-23

Clark, H.L. 1946. The echinoderm fauna of Australia. Its composition and its origin. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 566: 1-567

Rowe, F.W.E. in Rowe, F.W.E. & Gates, J. 1995. Echinodermata. In, Wells, A. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 33. Melbourne : CSIRO Australia xiii 510 pp. [Date published 30 May 1995]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
15-Sep-2023		11-Dec-2012	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)