Browsing by Author "Thandar, Ahmed Suleman."
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Item A critical assessment of the dendrochirotid subfamilies, sclerodactylinae and thyoninae, with the taxonomic management of the "supergenus" thyone (echinodermata : holothuroidea)(2011) Arumugam, Preyan.; Thandar, Ahmed Suleman.The key character separating the dendrochirotid families Sclerodactylidae (sensu Pawson & Fell, 1965) and the Phyllophoridae (sensu Pawson & Fell, 1965), i.e. entire or undivided radial processes to the calcareous ring in the former and sub-divided processes in the latter, is unjustified since most sclerodactylid species also have subdivided processes. It is here assumed that the basis of elevating the subfamily Sclerodactylinae Panning to family level was established on a misinterpretation or mistranslation of the original diagnosis of this subfamily or a lapsus calumni meaning “plates” instead of “processes”. Panning (1949) categorically states that the processes in the Sclerodactylinae are composed of 3–4 large pieces of calcite and only as an exception they are unbroken. Since Pawson & Fell gave no other distinction between the Sclerodactylidae and the Phyllophoridae, the former is here considered an invalid taxon and its three current subfamilies (Sclerodactylinae, Sclerothyoninae Thandar and Cladolabinae Heding & Panning) are re-assigned to the Phyllophoridae. This family now includes six subfamilies: Cladolabinae, Phyllophorinae Östergren, Sclerodactylinae, Sclerothyoninae, Semperiellinae Heding & Panning and Thyoninae Panning. The diagnosis of the Sclerodactylinae, restricted by Thandar (1989), is now modified to include also those forms whose radial and interradial plates may be slightly sub-divided but still form a short tube. Of the eleven genera placed within this subfamily subsequent to its erection, only ten of these remain. Neothyone Deichmann is a preoccupied name for which Lisacucumis is here proposed as a replacement. Thandar’s (1989) diagnosis of the Thyoninae is here accepted, however, the genus Thorsonia Heding is transferred to the Sclerodactylinae. Of the 66 nominal species which currently stand in the “supergenus” Thyone Jaeger, 10 are transferred to Havelockia Pearson within the Sclerodactylinae, while one species is regarded as a synonym of H. herdmani Pearson. In addition, six species are transferred to Stolus Selenka within the Thyoninae. Finally, three species are transferred to Sclerothyoninae, two within Sclerothyone Thandar and one within Temparena Thandar. Two species show an uncertain affinity to Thyone and are temporally removed from the genus. Furthermore, two species currently classified within Havelockia are transferred to Thyone. The now remaining 46 species are separated into seven groups based on the composition of their introvert deposits: tables only (8 spp.), rosettes only (5 spp.), tables and rosettes (21 spp.), tables and plates/?reduced tables (2 spp.), rosettes and plates/?reduced tables (3 spp.), plates only (2 spp.), or introvert deposits absent or unknown (5 spp.). Regrettably, no other character could be used in conjunction with the above to suggest at least sub-generic levels. Within the genus Havelockia, Cucumaria redimita Sluiter indicates an affinity with Pentamera Ayres. It is here transferred to this genus within the Thyoninae. Havelockia, now containing 17 species, is also revised. Keys, diagnoses and figures are provided for all nominal species now included in Thyone and Havelockia.Item The Holothurian fauna of Southern Africa.(1984) Thandar, Ahmed Suleman.; Smit, A. L.; Rowe, Frank W. E.The last thorough revision of the southern African holothurian fauna appeared in 1948 and since then there have been numerous additions to the fauna . A comprehensive revision of the fauna is here undertaken on the basis of currently accepted changes in classification and nomenclature. The survey is based on the collections of the South African Museum and of the Universities of Cape Town and Durban-Westville. The material comprises some 2768 specimens distributed over six orders and 72 species. Another 48 species, excluding the two pelagic forms, are included to complete the survey. The about 95 species recorded from this region prior to this investigation are tabulated in chronological sequence of their descriptions and/or records. The new taxa diagnosed include eight genera, one subgenus, 12 species and one subspecies. There are in addition 15 new records and 15 new synonyms. A checklist to all species known to date is included and keys reconstructed. Full descriptions of new species and those formerly inadequately described are given. The diagnoses of some others are modified and/or additional notes added. The zoogeographical distribution of the fauna, based on our current knowledge of ocean currents and their effects along the coast, is discussed and the following four faunal provinces recognised: tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cold temperate. The relationship; of the Dactylochirotida and Dendrochirotida is discussed. The inclusion of the Rhopalodinidae in the Dactylochirotida is questioned and so is also the status of the cucumariid subfamily Colochirinae. It is concluded that the southern African holothurian fauna is of largely Indo-Pacific origin with most of the endemic component probably representing cold water tolerants of former Indo-Pacific species. The Atlantic Ocean region has played a very small but significant role in the development of the fauna, while the contribution of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic regions is negligible.Item A re-appraisal of the holothuroid genera Pseudocnus Panning, 1949 and Pseudocnella Thandar, 1987 based on morphological and, for the latter, also molecular evidence (Echinodermata : Holothuroidea : Dendrochirotida : Cucumariidae)Mjobo, Sifiso.; Thandar, Ahmed Suleman.; Macdonald, Angus Hector Harold.After the erection of the genus Pseudocnella by Thandar (1987) to accommodate three southern African Cucumariids and a Mediterranean form, then classified in Pseudocnus, certain problems still remained. In addition to this the recent revision of the Antarctic-Subantarctic species of Pseudocnus by O’Loughlin et al. (2014) left the remaining world species unattended to. Due to the above, both these genera (Pseudocnus and Pseudocnella) were looked at critically in order to determine whether all species assigned to them are congeneric. As far as the genus Pseudocnus is concerned those species excluded from O’Loughlin et al (2014) revision are looked at only morphologically by examining available materials and literature. Species belonging to the genus Pseudocnella are examined from both morphological and molecular aspects. O’Loughlin et al. (2014) restriction of the genus Pseudocnus was accepted and hence two new genera Panningocnus and Thandarocnus are diagnosed for those species with unequal tentacles and body wall deposits respectively made up of a single or more than a single layer of calcareous material. On this basis only three species now remain in Pseudocnus, with Cucumaria koellikeri Semper, 1868 as type species, nine species are transferred to Panningocnus, with Cucumaria dubiosa Semper, 1868 as type species and the remaining six species transferred to Thandarocnus with Pseudocnus sentus O’Loughlin & Alcock, 2000 as type species. A new genus Hemiocnus is erected for Cladodactyla syracusana Grube, 1840 (=Pseudocnella syracusana) as type species and to this is also transferred Pseudocnella insolens (Théel, 1886). The genus Pseudocnella now appears to accommodate only two South African nominal species with Cucumaria sinorbis Cherbonnier, 1952 remaining as type species. All species dealt with are diagnosed, keyed and their geographical distributions mapped, except those dealt with by O’Loughlin et al. (2014) and Thandar (1987).