The paracaudinid sea cucumbers of Australia and New Zealand (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Molpadida: Caudinidae) 
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Figure 18. Photos of Paracaudina tripoda O’Loughlin and Barmos, sp. nov. (photos by L. Altoff, MRG). a, holotype from Queensland, east of 
Lady Elliot Island, 230 m (AM J24922); b, small paratype, north of Fraser Island, 137 m, (AM J11150 (7)). 
specimens; ossicles never chilensis-like with central perforation 
with box and cross bridges. 
Type locality. Western Australia, Perth, Cottesloe beach. 
Distribution. Southern Australia, from Abrolhos Islands, 
Western Australia, to Westernport Bay, Victoria; to 10 m. 
Remarks. Paracaudina tetrapora (H. L. Clark, 1914) is 
distinguished amongst Australian species of Paracaudina by 
having ossicles that are thick knobbed irregularly oval buttons 
with predominantly 2 large central and 2 distal smaller holes. 
Joshua 1914 reported two specimens from Victoria as Caudina 
chilensis (Muller). Details provided for the larger one (and 
confirmed here, NMV F169344) indicate that it was 
Paracaudina cuprea O’Loughlin and Barmos sp. nov. (above). 
The second specimen (seen here, NMV F45019) was 
Paracaudina tetrapora (H. L. Clark). Yellow body wall 
colouration with phosphatising of ossicles and phosphatic body 
wall residues is evident in larger specimens. In the largest 
specimen (SAM K2507) there is dark red phosphatising of the 
calcareous ring, and the reddish-brown colouration of the 
polian vesicle is presumed to be due to phosphatising. 
Paracaudina tripoda O’Loughlin and Barmos sp. nov. 
Figures 18, 19 
Material examined. Holotype. Queensland, east of Lady Elliot Island, 
24°07'S 152°52'E, 230 m, 7 Jul 1984, AM J24922. 
Paratypes. Type locality and date, AM J18814 (3); east of Lady 
Elliot Island, 24°04'S 152°48'E, 192 m, 7 Jul 1984, AM J18813 (1); 
north of Fraser Island, 24°23'S 153°17'30"E, 137 m, 15 Dec 1977, AM 
Jill50 (7). 
Diagnosis. Paracaudina species up to 75 mm total length, 
diameter up to 27 mm; oral and caudal tapers, lacking long thin 
tail, sometimes short discrete tail; body wall firm, leathery, 
slightly rugose; small preserved specimens reddish-yellow 
(rusty), larger specimens off-white; reddish-yellow pigment 
may be present; mid-body with abundant irregularly round to 
oval, thick button-like ossicles, some slightly concave, up to 64 
pm long; majority of ossicles with rounded edge, short thick 
surface spines, ossicles frequently with large central perforation 
with tripod or single rod or cross bridge, up to 11 variably sized 
perforations; many australis- like plates with horizontal 
marginal projections; some chilensis- like plates with bridging 
box and cross over central perforation, some with bridging 
tripod; rare ambigua- like mid-body plate ossicles with 2-4 
perforations, up to 32 pm long. 
Type locality. Northeast Australia, Queensland, E of Lady 
Elliot Island, 230 m. 
Distribution. Northeast Australia, off Lady Elliot and Fraser 
Islands; 137-230 m. 
Etymology. From the Greek trion (three) and podos (foot), 
referring to the frequency of a tripod bridge over the central 
perforation in the ossicles. 
Remarks. The holotype specimen of Paracaudina tripoda 
O’Loughlin and Barmos sp. nov. is damaged, but the ossicles 
are in good condition and the body form is evident. Three 
Paracaudina Heding, 1932 species lack a long thin tail and 
have irregular small plate or button ossicles in the mid-body 
wall. In two of these species, Paracaudina australis (Semper, 
1868) and Paracuadina cuprea O’Loughlin and Barmos sp. 
nov., the predominant ossicles from the mid-body are plates 
with lateral rounded marginal spines and surface spines and 
knobs. In the new species Paracaudina tripoda O’Loughlin 
and Barmos the predominant ossicles lack lateral rounded 
marginal spines, and have surface spines. Paracaudina 
australis specimens show rare slight yellowing, and have rods 
in the mid-body wall. Paracaudina cuprea specimens show 
strong reddish-yellow colouration with increasing size. 
Paracaudina tripoda specimens show decreasing reddish- 
yellow colouration with increasing size. 
