The Holothurian Fauna of Cook Strait, New Zealand
[Introduction]
Diagnosis: Modified vermiform holothurians with smooth, rough or warty surface. Tubefeet totally lacking, except for the tentacles. Anal papillae, tentacle ampullae, and respiratory trees absent. Tentacles 10 to 20 or even more in number, simple, digitate or pinnate. Characteristic deposits anchors and wheels, though some species lack deposits altogether.
The Order Apodida contains three well defined families, of which two have representatives in Cook Strait.
1 | (2) | Deposits in the form of perforated plates accompanied by anchors | Fam. SYNAPTIDAE |
2 | (1) | Deposits include wheels. | |
3 | (4) | Wheels with six spokes, together with sigmoid or C-shaped rods. Wheels arranged in papillae, or scattered in the body wall | Fam. CHIRIDOTIDAE |
4 | (3) | Wheels complex, with eight or more spokes | Fam. MYRIOTROCHIDAE |