Louis Agassiz on his expedition to Brazil. Hartt explored the coral reefs at Santa
Cruz and Porto Seguro region (Bahia State) and, among the marine specimens he
sampled, were two species of sea cucumbers. One of them was Thyone braziliensis, described by Verril as Thyone (Sclerodactyla) braziliensis. The other one
was Chiridota rotifera, recorded for the first time for Brazil by Verril as Chirodota
rotiferum.
Later Rathbun (1879) provided the first list of Brazilian echinoderms, with four
species of sea cucumbers, 11 species of sea urchins, 13 species of sea stars, 32
species of brittle stars, and four species of sea lilies (Tiago and Ditadi 2001). He
gathered all the species collected by the Geological Commission of Brazil from
1875 to 1877. He also added the species previously recorded by other scientists,
like Ljungman and Fritz Müller. When he recorded the geographic distribution of
the sea star Echinaster brasiliensis, he stressed that the term ‘‘Rio de Janeiro’’ was
commonly used to designate Brazil in general at that time, rendering some confusion about the distribution of many species. The Holothuroidea he recorded
were: C. rotifera (as C. rotiferum), T. braziliensis (as T. (Sclerodactyla) braziliensis), Thyonella sp. and Holothuria sp.
In 1881, Ludwig examined the animals collected at the Brazilian coast by
E. van Beneden, recording the occurrence of C. rotifera and describing two new
species of Holothuroidea: Phyllophorus parvus (as Thyonidium parvum) and
Protankyra benedeni (as Synapta benedeni). In 1882, he also published a list of the
echinoderms collected by E. van Beneden at the Brazilian coast (Tommasi 1957).
The specimens collected by the Challenger Expedition along the coast of Bahia
State were studied by Théel (1882, 1886a), who described Thyone pervicax,
Pentacta pygmaeus (as Colochirus pygmaeus), and Lissothuria braziliensis (as
Psolus braziliensis).
Ludwig (1881) and Théel (1886a, b) contributed by describing new species and
findings of sea cucumbers in Brazil. However, it was only in 1897 that Hermann
von Ihering listed the first marine invertebrates, among them echinoderms, for the
coast of the State of São Paulo, specifically at São Sebastião Island. However,
Ihering did not identify a single species. That task was performed by Luederwaldt
(1929a, b), who cited the occurrence of Holothuria grisea at that island (Tiago and
Ditadi 2001).
Deichmann (1930) described Holothuroidea sampled over a huge area, from
southern Brazil to Cape Cod (Massachussetts, USA). She gave detailed information about the 103 species found, with 12 reported for the Brazilian coast:
Holothuria grisea, Phyllophorus seguroensis, P. occidentalis, P. parvus, Thyone
cognita, T. suspecta, T. pervicax, T. belli, Pentacta pygmaeus, Thyonepsolus
braziliensis, Synaptula hydriformis and Protankyra benedeni.
Although mentioned by earlier authors such as Verrill (1868), Ludwig (1881),
and Théel (1886a, b), the Apoda Chiridota rotifera was not reported for Brazil in
Deichmann’s monograph (Tiago and Ditadi 2001). Later on Luederwaldt (1929a,
b) recorded the occurrence of H. grisea at São Sebastião Island (São Paulo State).
322
C. R. R. Ventura et al.
Cruz and Porto Seguro region (Bahia State) and, among the marine specimens he
sampled, were two species of sea cucumbers. One of them was Thyone braziliensis, described by Verril as Thyone (Sclerodactyla) braziliensis. The other one
was Chiridota rotifera, recorded for the first time for Brazil by Verril as Chirodota
rotiferum.
Later Rathbun (1879) provided the first list of Brazilian echinoderms, with four
species of sea cucumbers, 11 species of sea urchins, 13 species of sea stars, 32
species of brittle stars, and four species of sea lilies (Tiago and Ditadi 2001). He
gathered all the species collected by the Geological Commission of Brazil from
1875 to 1877. He also added the species previously recorded by other scientists,
like Ljungman and Fritz Müller. When he recorded the geographic distribution of
the sea star Echinaster brasiliensis, he stressed that the term ‘‘Rio de Janeiro’’ was
commonly used to designate Brazil in general at that time, rendering some confusion about the distribution of many species. The Holothuroidea he recorded
were: C. rotifera (as C. rotiferum), T. braziliensis (as T. (Sclerodactyla) braziliensis), Thyonella sp. and Holothuria sp.
In 1881, Ludwig examined the animals collected at the Brazilian coast by
E. van Beneden, recording the occurrence of C. rotifera and describing two new
species of Holothuroidea: Phyllophorus parvus (as Thyonidium parvum) and
Protankyra benedeni (as Synapta benedeni). In 1882, he also published a list of the
echinoderms collected by E. van Beneden at the Brazilian coast (Tommasi 1957).
The specimens collected by the Challenger Expedition along the coast of Bahia
State were studied by Théel (1882, 1886a), who described Thyone pervicax,
Pentacta pygmaeus (as Colochirus pygmaeus), and Lissothuria braziliensis (as
Psolus braziliensis).
Ludwig (1881) and Théel (1886a, b) contributed by describing new species and
findings of sea cucumbers in Brazil. However, it was only in 1897 that Hermann
von Ihering listed the first marine invertebrates, among them echinoderms, for the
coast of the State of São Paulo, specifically at São Sebastião Island. However,
Ihering did not identify a single species. That task was performed by Luederwaldt
(1929a, b), who cited the occurrence of Holothuria grisea at that island (Tiago and
Ditadi 2001).
Deichmann (1930) described Holothuroidea sampled over a huge area, from
southern Brazil to Cape Cod (Massachussetts, USA). She gave detailed information about the 103 species found, with 12 reported for the Brazilian coast:
Holothuria grisea, Phyllophorus seguroensis, P. occidentalis, P. parvus, Thyone
cognita, T. suspecta, T. pervicax, T. belli, Pentacta pygmaeus, Thyonepsolus
braziliensis, Synaptula hydriformis and Protankyra benedeni.
Although mentioned by earlier authors such as Verrill (1868), Ludwig (1881),
and Théel (1886a, b), the Apoda Chiridota rotifera was not reported for Brazil in
Deichmann’s monograph (Tiago and Ditadi 2001). Later on Luederwaldt (1929a,
b) recorded the occurrence of H. grisea at São Sebastião Island (São Paulo State).
322
C. R. R. Ventura et al.