Psolus squamatus (Müller, 1776) as species complex (Echinodermata : Holothuroidea)

JULIO ARRIAGA-OCHOA; FRANCISCO ALONSO SOLÍS-MARÍN; MARIANO IGNACIO MARTINEZ

Florida, Pensacola

Conferencia; North American Echinoderms Conference; 2014

Psolus squamatus (family Psolidae Burmeister), has been for a long time a controversial species of sea cucumber, mainly because it shares many morphological characteristics with other species of the same genus, which has generated the description of six varieties. Over time, several authors have been assigned to P. squamatus (e. g. Müller, 1776; Koren, 1844; Düben and Koren, 1846). Meanwhile Ekman (1923), confirm that the first record of P. squamatus was made by Muller under the name of Holothuria squamata. Hence, the aim of this work is to designate the correct taxonomic name of the species. After an extended morphological revision of the type material of the varieties, we proposed to re-validate each of the varieties to species level: P. squamatus (Müller), P. segregatus (Perrier), P. valvatusOestergren, P. asper Augustin, P. pauper Ludwig and P. operculatus (Pourtalès).