Laetmogonidae Ekman, 1926

Family Laetmogonidae Ekman, 1926 View in CoL

Diagnosis (amended from Rogacheva et al., 2009). Ossicles wheel-shaped, scattered rods or (in Laetmogone violacea ) spinous crosses or (in Gebrukothuria ) rods only. Tube feet conspicuous, evenly distributed along entire ventrolateral radii, never fused into a brim. Midventral tube feet present or absent. Papillae numerous, placed along dorsal radii or dorsal and ventrolateral radii; papillae on dorsal radii free, on ventrolateral radii (if present) free or fused; in rare cases fused to form an anterior brim. Circumoral papillae present or absent. Calcareous ring reduced or not calcified. Gonad composed of numerous branched ducts and tubules.

Remarks. The Laetmogonidae are a cosmopolitan family with seven currently accepted genera, three of which were previously recorded for Australia: Benthogone , Laetmogone and Pannychia . Found most commonly on the continental slope, these sea cucumbers have an elongated body with dorsal papillae and ventral-oriented feeding tentacles. IOT material includes examples from Benthogone and Psychronaetes . Diagnosis of family amended here to include rare case of fused anterior brim.