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The Bathyal Holothurians of the New Zealand Region
[Introduction]
Diagnosis: Tentacles 10 to 20. Body elongate, either subcylindrical or depressed; anterior end always depressed. Bodywall thick, forming a brim anteriorly. Lateral ventral radii with a single row of numerous small pedicels. Midventral radius naked, or with double row of minute pedicels. Dorsal surface naked, or with numerous or few large or small processes. Deposits usually four-armed bodies, with inwardly curved arms, often an outer central projection. Mesenteries continuous
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membranes; calcareous ring composed of five separate pieces, incompletely developed. (After Theel, 1882; Ekman, 1925.)
This family contains four genera, of which three have a cosmopolitan distribution. The fourth genus (Psycheostrephes) is so far known from a single central Pacific species.
The collection includes two specimens of the genus Benthodytes Theel.