384 FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Family PSYCHROPOTIDAE 



KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES TAKEN IN THE GULF OF MEXICO 



1. Dorsal side with a "hump"-like appendage on the posterior part. Spicules dorsal crosses, with strongly curved arms 

 and a central spine surrounded by four smaller ones. Color deep purplish. Genus 1. Euphronides. 



Euphronides violacea Perrier, p. 384 



1. Dorsal side without a posterior "hump." Genus 2. Benthodytes 2 



2. Flattened form, short, with a broad lateral swimming brim of papillae. Spicules simple spinous rods. Deep purple. 



1. Benthodi/tes lypira Th^el, p. 384 

 2. More or less vaulted form, elongate, with narrow brim of papillae. Spicules large cros.ses with curved arms and one 

 to three stout, spinous projections arising from the center. Color reddish to deep purple. 



2. Benthodi/tes lingua Perrier, p. 384 



Genus 1 EUPHRONIDES Theel, 1881 Type locality: Off Gibraltar. Distribution: 



1 Euphronides violacea Perrier Eastern Atlantic; in the West Indies, common in 



„ , ., ., „ . ,^,„. ,no inno A-is. the Gulf of Mcxico, along the LesscT Antilles and 

 Euphronidex violacea Perr)er, 1896, p. 102; 1902, p. 438' /» , p xt t-i i i 



pi 20 fig. 14; Deichmann, 19:50, p. 128. ^Iso known from off the coast of New England, 



from 172 to 766 fathoms. 



Diasmosw.— Flattened body with mouth and j^ ^g seldom that one gets more than a bunch of 



anus ventral, 10 to 20 tentacles, narrow lateral broad muscle bands and some shreds of skin, 



brim of small papillae. Dorsally four to six pairs Nevertheless, it is usually possible to recognize 



of papillae placed anteriorly and an unpah-ed the animal on account of the short body length and 



hump arising some distance from the posterior ^^g g^j^pj^ spicules. It lives on soft mud bottom 

 margin. Spicules, dorsally large, curved crosses 



with one large conical spine surrounded by four 2 Benthodytes lingua Perrier 



smaller ones; ventrally scattered delicate crosses, BeModyies lingua Perrier, 1896, p. 902; 1902, p. 466, 



almost flat. Type: Paris. Type locahty: Coast pj ^2, figs. 1-2; pi. 21, figs. 1-9; Deichmann, HWO, p. 124; 



of Morocco. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic; in 1940, p. 200, pi. 35, figs. 3-4. 



the western part from the Lesser Antilles and „• • t t on „ vi i c * „i 



f^M t\jr  t ecc* oionf ti Z)^a(/7^os^s.— Large form, 30 cm., With 15 ventral 



Gulf of Mexico, from 655 to 2,120 fathoms. . . i u  t u -u ^ 



tentacles, a narrow brim oi small papulae and a 



Genus 2 BENTHODYTES Theel, 1881 double row of feet in the midventral radius. 



„ . . . ™ , . Dorsally, a few, insignificant papillae. Color 



1 Benthodytes typica TMei , •; ' , , ,. , t-. 



pale reddish to deep purphsli. Enormous crosses 



Benthodytes typica Th6el, 1882, p. 103; 1886a, p. 2; ^^j^j^ curved spinous arms and one to three 



Deichmann, 1930, p. 123. ^^^^^^ spinous projections from the center of the 



Diagnosis. — Flat, short form (15 cm.) with cross. Type: Paris. Type locality: Off Morocco, 



wide swimming-brim of closely placed papillae. Disti-ibution: Eastern Atlantic; in the western 



Double row of small pedicels in midventral part known from the Gulf of Mexico and also off 



ambulacrum. Deep purple in color. Spicules the coast of New England from 470 to 1,200 



scattered, spinous rods. Type: British Museum. fathoms. 



Order 2 ASPIDOCHIROTA Grube 



KEY TO THE FAMILIES 



I. No free tentacle ampullae. Deep water forms 1- Synallactidae, p. 384 



1. Free tentacle ampullae. Mostly shallow water forms 2 



2. Genital organs in two tufts. Large, thick-skinned forms 2. Stichopodidae, p. 387 



2. Genital organs in one tuft on left side of dorsal mesentery. Large to small forms 3. Holothuriidae, p. 388 



Family 1 SYNALLACTIDAE 



KEY TO THE GENERA REPRESENTED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO 



1. Spicules almost lacking. .\nus often in a vertical furrow. Skin thick, gelatinous, often covered by sand or minute 



shells 1. Pseudostichopus Th6el, p. 395 



1 . Spicules present. Anus not in a vertical furrow 2 



