Cucdmaeia fbondosa (Gunn.), Forles. Plate I, Figs. 1 & 2.
1767. Holothuria frondosa, Gunnerus, Act. Holm. 1767, p. 115, pi. iv. figs. 1, 2.
1776. Holothuria frondosa, 0 . F. Müller,. Zool. Dan. Prodr. no. 2802.
1776. Holothuria pentodes, 0 . E. Müller, Zool. Dan. Prodr. no. 2806.
1780. Holothuria pentactes, Fabrioius, Fauna Grcenlandica, p. 352. no. 343.
1780. Holothivria frondosa, Fabrioius, Fauna Grcenlandica, p. 353. no. 344.
1780. ? Holothuria minuta, Fabrioius, Fauna Grcenlandica, p. 354. no. 346.
1788. Holothuriapentacta; Gmelin (pars?), Syst. Nat. Linn. ed. xiii. p. 3139.
1788. Holothuria frondosa, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Linn. ed. xiii. p. 3138.
1788. Holothuria pentodes, 6 . F. Müller, Zool. Dan. vol. i. p. 36, pi. x xxi. fig. 8 (juv.).
1789. Holothuria pentodes, Abilgaard, Zool. Dan.'vol. iii. p. 45, pi. cviii. figs. 1 -4 .
1806. Holothuria pentodes, Yabl et Rathke, Zool. Dan. vol. iv. pp. 3 -7 , pis. cxxiii-cxxvii.
1816. Holothuria frondosa, Lamarck, Anim. s. Yert. ed. i. vol. iü. p. 73.
1833. Pentada frondosa, Jäger, De Holotburiis, p. 12.
1834. Ouvieria frondosa, Blainville, Manuel d’Actinologie, p. 192.
1835. ? Dadylota minuta, Brandt, Prodr. descrip, anim. ab Mertensio obs., faso. i. p. 45.
1835. ? Cladodactyla pentodes, Brandt, Prodr. descrip, anim. ab Mertensio obs., fasc. i. p. 45.
1839. Holothuria grandis, Forbes & Goodsir, Athenaeum, no. 618, p. 647.
1839. Gucumaria fucicola, Forbes & Goodsir, Atheneeum, no. 618, p. 647.
1841. Gucumaria frondosa, Forbes, Hist. British Starfishes, p. 209.
1841. Gucumaria fucicola, Forbes, Hist. British Starfishes, p. 227.
1841. ? Cladodactyla pentodes, Gould, Invert, of Massachusetts, p. 345.
1844. Gucumaria frondosa, Düben & Koren, K. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1844, p. 293.
1852. Bothryodactyla grandis, Ayres, Proceed. Boston Soc, Nat. Hist. vol. iv. p. 52.
1852. Bothryodadyla affinis, Ayres, Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. vol. iv. p. 145.
1852. ? Gucumaria fucicola, Forbes, Sutherland’s Joum. of a Yoyage &c., vol. ii. Append, p. ccxiv.
1853. Pentada frondosa, Stimpson, Syn. Mar. Invert. Grand Manan, p, 16,
1857. Gucumaria, frondosa, Lütken, Yid. Meddel. N. Forening i Kjöbenhavn, 1857, p. 2.
1857. Gucumaria frondosa, M‘Andrew & Barrett, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. xx. pp. 43, 45.
1861. Gucumaria frondosa, Sars, Oversigt af Norges Echinodermer, p. 100.
1863. Pentada frondosa, Stimpson, Proc. Acad. N. Sei. Philad. 1863, p. 142.
1866. Pentacta frondosa, Yerrill, Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. vol. x. pp. 352, 357.
1866. ? Pentacta minuta, Yerrill, Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. vol. x. p. 353.
1867. Gucumaria frondosa, Selenka, Zeitsch. f. wiss. Zool. Bd. xvii. p. 347.
1868. Gucumaria frondosa, Semper, Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen, Holothurien, pp. 52, 234.
1869. Gucumaria frondosa, Pourtales, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, 1869, p. 359.
Body subcylindrical or subpentagonal in young stages, ovate in form when at rest
and contracted, but capable of considerable elongation; uniformly rounded at both
extremities.
The ambulacral sucker-feet are arranged in five longitudinal series, each being a
double row in which the tube-feet alternate; in old specimens, however, a quadruple
disposition in the middle of a series is not unfrequent, consequent on the action of
growth-crowding, and a few additional irregularly-placed suckers also occur on the
dorsal interradial areas, all the suckers being capable of entire retraction.
The skin is very thick, tough, and smooth, although specimens preserved in spirit
are generally much wrinkled and puckered up, owing to the great contraction which
the animal is capable of exerting prior to death through the medium of the powerful
and largely developed muscular system which it possesses.
The tentacles are ten in number, frondose, equal-sized, and very robust m habit.
The oral armature is, as a whole, large, although the calcareous mouth-ring in some
examples is but very imperfectly calcified. The radial elements are somewhat of
the form of an inverted Y, the muscular bands being attached to the extremity of the
upward odd prolongation; the interradial pieces are smaller, and often in the form of
a simple arch. The present writers have been unable to detect in any specimens they
have examined the secondary ring mentioned by Selenka*; but m a single small
example there seem to be traces of an incipient calcareous prolongation proceeding
from the interradial piece, and giving it the “ Y ’-’ shape similar to that of the radial
elements. Perhaps such a development may be a stage towards the structure described
by our learned contemporary.
In a young-individual the Polian vesicle is single, and consists of a simple elongated
sac, of moderate capacity, and about one third the length of the body. The respiratory
organs, the intestine, and the generative organs are largely developed.
The muscular system is very powerful, the longitudinal bands being of such a
breadth as to partially overlay the ampul]* of the sucker-feet; at the oral extremity
they taper off rapidly, and their continuation forms the double band of the extensor
muscles of the mouth-apparatus. The m. retractores are very strong and stout, the
band being attached to the mouth-ring between the two fascicules of the extensor
muscle. The series of transverse muscles are numerous and closely placed.
Very conflicting statements occur respecting the calcareous spicules in the cuticle,
not only as to the form, but even as to the presence at all of such bodies in C. frondosa-.
Diiben and Koren described the integument as covered with calcareous granules which
are irregular, deformed, and never perforated. Selenka states that he has found no
plates whatever in the general body-skin, but only very minute arragonite needles
•006 millim. in length; whilst both Semper and Lfibken specify that large and
perforated plates occur in this Holothuroid, but are only to be met with in the neighbourhood
of the feet. Our observations tend to confirm the latter naturalists, although
there would appear to be very considerable variation in the quantity of spicules present
in different specimens. In some examples, for instance, thé skin seems entirely devoid
of any calcareous deposits whatever, whilst in others spicules are more or less numerous
throughout the body; and this has been the case in moderately large examples. Generally,
however, it must be said that spicules are most frequent in the neighbourhood
of the ambulacral rows; but it would seem that no fixed rule of any kind can be
definitely laid down as to their occurrence in this species, whilst the same remark would
even hold good as to their form.
Size.—This species attains perhaps the largest size of any of the Cucvmariw,
occasionally measuring a foot from end to end, large specimens being able to extend
themselves to twice or three times this length.
Colour.—In colour C. frondosa is of a dark purple mingled with grey, shading off
tó ashy grey or white on the underside. Young examples are lighter and also of a
more uniform shade, generally pinkish or flesh-coloured.
* “ Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien,” Zeitsch. f, wiss. Zool. Bd. xvii. p. 347.
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