Elpidia Explained

Elpidia is a genus of deep-sea sea cucumbers. Members are characterised by their rod-shaped spicules which each have two pairs of obliquely placed horizontal arms and two vertical apophyses. There is a high degree of endemism in this genus with different species occupying different deep sea basins or regions.^[1]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Elpidia:

• Elpidia adenensis Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia antarctica Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia atakama Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia belyaevi Rogacheva, 2007
• Elpidia birsteini Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia chilensis Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia decapoda Belyaev, 1975
• Elpidia echinata (R. Perrier, 1896)
• Elpidia glacialis Théel, 1876
• Elpidia gracilis Belyaev, 1975
• Elpidia heckeri Baranova, 1989
• Elpidia javanica Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia kermadecensis Hansen, 1956
• Elpidia kurilensis Baranova & Belyaev in Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia lata Belyaev, 1975
• Elpidia longicirrata Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia minutissima Belyaev, 1971
• Elpidia ninae Belyaev, 1975
• Elpidia solomonensis Hansen, 1956
• Elpidia soyoae Ogawa, Morita & Fujita, 2020
• Elpidia sundensis Hansen, 1956
• Elpidia theeli Hansen, 1956
• Elpidia uschakovi Belyaev, 1971

Notes and References

1. Web site: A continued study on the abundance and population structure of the functionally important holothurian Elpidia minutissima, at the long-term abyssal study site Station M. . Genco, Brandon M. . 2012 . 2014-10-06.