Brisinga cricophora Sladen 1889

Brisinga cricophora Sladen, 1889

Brisinga cricophora Sladen, 1889:606–608, pl. 59: figs 6–8.

Craterobrisinga cricophora.—Fisher, 1917:426; 1919:513.

MERISTICS.—Arms = 11, R = 130 mm (estimated), r = 7–13 mm, R/r = 10–19/1, length of gonadal region = 60 mm, length of longest arm spine = 17 mm.

DIAGNOSIS.—[80.a] Madreporite large, raised; [100.b] madreporite irregular; [110.b] abactinal disc plates tumid; [120.b] abactinal disc plates dense in membrane; [130.a] abactinal disc plates sometimes bearing one or more tiny hyaline spinelets or one moderately long hyaline spinelet; [170] number of arms 11; [205.a] gonadal region of arms 60 mm, moderately inflated; [210.a] abactinal arm plates elongate, rod-like; [220.a] abactinal arm plates imbricate, costae delicate, frequently incomplete, bare membrane between and beyond costae; [240.a] abactinal arm plates bearing 1 or 2 tiny thorn-like spinelets; [280.a] marginal plates very small relative to adambulacrals; [290.a] shape of marginals irregular; [300.b] marginals occurring about every other adambulacral; [310.a] first 5–7 marginals without spines, rest with 1 or 2 moderately long acicular spines; [320.a,b] adambulacral plates higher than long proximally, longer than high distally; [330.b] adambulacrals spool-shaped; [340.b] furrow margin slightly indented; [350] number of furrow spines 2; [360.a] furrow spines small, tapering; [370.a,b] one furrow spine at either end of adambulacral; [380] number of subambulacral spines 1; [390.a,b] subambulacral spines extremely long, length increasing distad, first 10–15 stout, capitate, rest slender, aciculate; [420.b] ambulacral plates rather small, delicate; [430.b] head of ambulacral plates quite small, hourglass-shaped; [470.a] tubefeet delicate, slender, translucent; [480.a] mouth plates very small relative to adambulacrals; [490.b] mouth plates trapezoidal, with outer side and distal end concave; [500] number of preoral spines per mouth plate 1; [510.a] preoral spines small, acicular; [520.b] preoral spines directed laterally, across groove; [530] number of lateral oral spines 1–3; [540.a] lateral oral spines small, acicular; [550.b] lateral oral spines on face of mouth plates, near outer side; [560] number of suboral spines per mouth plate 1 or 2; [570.a] suboral spines moderately large, acicular; [580.a] suboral spines behind preoral spines; [620.a,b,c] pedicellariae abundant, all spines enclosed in fleshy sac completely covered with pedicellariae, membrane between and beyond costae with transverse bands of tiny pedicellariae; [630.a] all pedicellariae microscopic.

COLOR.—Orange.

TYPE.—BM(NH) 90.5.7.1043 (holotype), Challenger Sta 24, NW of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, 18°38.3′N, 65°5.3′W, 713 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype; USNM E20952, 15 specimens, Gerda Sta 190, Bahamas, 25°57′N, 78°07′W, 733–897 m; USNM E20947, arm fragments, Gerda Sta 403, off Florida, 27°49′N, 78°50′W, 824 m; USNM E20946, arm fragments, Gerda Sta 672, off Florida, 27°53′N, 79°03′W, 796 m.

DISTRIBUTION.—Florida, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Sargasso Sea, western South Africa; 713–1340 m.

CHARACTERS.—Those peculiar to B. cricophora: None.

Characters shared with other species of Brisinga:

B. endecacnemos: 120.b, 130.a, 170.11, 205.a, 210.a, 220.a, 240.a, 280.a, 300.b, 310.a, 330.b, 340.b, 360.a, 380.1, 480.a, 500.1, 510.a, 540.a, 550.b, 570.a, 580.a, 630.a.

B. hirsuta: 110.b, 210.a, 220.a, 240.a, 280.a, 310.a, 330.b, 340.b, 360.a, 470.a, 500.1, 510.a, 520.b, 560.1–2, 570.a, 620.a,b,c.

Characters in which B. cricophora differs from other species of Brisinga:

B. endecacnemos: 80, 100, 110, 290, 320, 390, 420, 430, 470, 490, 520, 620.

B. hirsuta: 80, 100, 120, 130, 170, 205, 290, 300, 380, 420, 480, 490, 550, 580, 630.