Myriotrochidae

Myriotrochidae
Myriotrochus sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Apodida
Family: Myriotrochidae
Théel, 1877
Genera

see text

Myriotrochidae is a family of sea cucumbers.

Description and characteristics

Members of this family have digitate tentacles, bearing 2-8 digits on each side. They lack podia, radial canals and respiratory tree.

The soft body wall is supported by ossicles which are generally wheel-shaped with 8 or more spokes.

They are abyssal sea cucumbers, and may be the deepest-living group of echinoderms : species of the genera Myriotrochus and Prototrochus (such as Prototrochus bruuni) have been identified down to 10,687 m (35,062 ft) deep.[1]

List of genera

The following genera are recognised in the family Myriotrochidae:

  • Acanthotrochus Danielssen & Koren, 1881 -- 3 species
  • Achiridota Clark, 1908 -- 3 species
  • Hemisphaeranthos Terquem & Berthelin, 1875 -- 4 species
  • Myriotrochus Steenstrup, 1851 -- 19 species
  • Neolepidotrochus Bohn, 2005 -- 5 species
  • Parvotrochus Gage & Billett, 1986 -- 1 species
  • Prototrochus Belyaev & Mironov, 1982 -- 17 species
  • Siniotrochus Pawson, 1971 -- 3 species
  • Trochoderma Théel, 1877 -- 1 species

References

  1. Mah, Christopher L. "What are the Deepest known echinoderms ?". The Echinoblog..


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