Peniagone purpurea ( Théel, 1882 )

Peniagone purpurea ( Théel, 1882) View in CoL

Elpidia purpurea Théel, 1882: 21–23 View in CoL , pls. 7: 4–6, 33: 13–14, 44: 6. Peniagone purpurea View in CoL . — Hansen, 1975: 151–152.— Gebruk, 1990:

111–113, fig. 46.— Gebruk et al., 2014: 162.— Kremenetskaia et al.,

2021: 14, fig. 9. Elpidia ambigua . — Théel, 1882: 27–28, pl. 33: 6. Peniagone lacinora . — Agatep, 1967: 53–55, pl. 3: 1–9. Peniagone vexillum . — Perrier, 1902: 429, pls. 12: 6, 19: 24–25.? Peniagone ferruginea . — Grieg, 1921: 7–8, fig. 3, pl. 1: 4–6.

Material examined. NMV F296841 About NMV * (1) [IN 2021 V 04 007] .

Diagnosis of IOT material. Single partial specimen, light pink to mauve, soft, gelatinous, and partially transparent with thin skin. Purple to grey once preserved and in two pieces, each ~ 20 mm long. Severely damaged, single podia but no other external features remaining, skin wall not rough. Body wall ossicles typically Peniagone - type crosses with smooth (or minutely spinous) central beam, four widely spread long spinous arms and four shorter spinous apophyses directed vertically or outwards (fig. 6b–e). Some with longer and more curved arms (fig. 6f, g). Other crosses lower with arms slightly curved to almost horizontal and short, thick apophyses (fig. 6h, i). Arms up to 320 μm long in these samples. Tentacles with crosses and supporting rods.

Remarks. Identification as P. purpurea rather than other Peniagone species based on limited specimen morphology and colour, combined with ossicles being closest to the type description and illustrations in Théel (1882) (excluding the rough skin from crowded ossicles). Note that Hansen (1975) describes only primary crosses with a well-developed stem and four long apophyses for P. purpurea , but IOT material is a closer match to the original illustrations in Théel, with mix of ossicles with shorter or longer apophyses. Differs specifically from Peniagone vitrea by mauve colour, more gelatinous skin, and different combination of ossicles as shown in fig. 6 cf. fig. 7.

Distribution. Antarctic, Atlantic, West Pacific, Indian Ocean: southern Indian Ocean (near Crozet), and Australian IOT.

Full bathymetric range. 2800–5610 m (IOT 3200–3345 m).

Type locality. southern Indian Ocean , west of Alfred Faure (Crozet Archipelago), 3560 m .

This species not previously recorded from Australia in AFD or ALA (January 2024) .

This IOT material represents a geographic range extension for the species.

References. AFD (2024), ALA (2024), Cross et al. (2009), Gebruk et al. (2014), Théel (1882).