Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus, Roux & Thuy & Gale, 2025

Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus sp. nov.

Fig. 5F–G View FIGURE 5

Type material: a single aboral cup (holotype OPH206 ) .

Etymology: from sediment dated to the Pliocene.

Diagnosis: as the description of the holotype. Arms and stalk unknown.

Type locality: Mascarene Plateau, to the east and west of the island of Rodrigues, Indian Ocean.

Description of the holotype: Elongate aboral cup with lower half inverted conical and upper half subcylindrical ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ), basals fused, discrete suture between radials, height (H) 1.90 mm, (D) maximum diameter 0.85 mm, H/D 2.23, diameter of radial ring 0.81 mm, aboral diameter (Dp) 0.40 mm, Dp/D 0.47; adoral face with moderate central depression at bottom of which lumen of axial canal obscured by stereomic plug, discrete adoral radial grooves, ratio central depression to radial ring diameter 0.59; distal synarthry of radials with deep muscular areas, aboral ligament area restricted to outer margin and very prominent interradial ridges on inner side ( Fig. 5G View FIGURE 5 ).

Remarks: The good preservation of the adoral face morphology allows us to see that Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus n. sp. displays characters identical to those of the type species of the genus ( Fig.3H View FIGURE 3 ) as described by Roux et al. (2019). C. cherbonnieri differs in having a slightly greater cup size (H 2.2 mm, D 1.50 mm) a regular inverted conical shape moderately elongated (H/D 1.47) with sides slightly convex, and a smaller adoral diameter (Dp/D 0.40) ( Roux 1976).

Occurrence: Indian Ocean, western Rodrigues Ridge at a depth of 1460 m (biotope possibly shallower). PlioPleistocene.