Psolus chitonoides should have tube feet on the ventral side!! the mystery
animal looks like a flatworm!

Constantine

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bert Bartleson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 10:02 PM
Subject: Re: Mystery Marine Animal


> Tom, It looks similar to a species we have in Puget Sound (Washington
> State,
> U.S.A.)that's an echinoderm (holothurian).  It's called Psolus
> chitonoides,
> (a sea cucumber "resembling a chiton").  The description states; "the
> shape
> of a short cucumber sliced lengthwise, for one side of it- the side with
> the
> tube feet-is almost perfectly flat. It clings tightly to rocks and is
> essentially sedentary.  The upper surface is covered with overlapping
> calcareous plates, and the mouth is situated on this surface some distance
> from the anterior end.  The color is orange; it's abundant in deeper water
> and its 5 cm in length." There is also another species I've never seen,
> listed as Psolidium bullatum which is smaller (3 cm) and pinkish-purple. I
> don't know if a similar species exists in Taiwan but it might be useful to
> ask an expert or look in marine biology texts.  Our species is only found
> in
> dredged materials or by divers, not intertidally. Bert Bartleson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Tom
> Eichhorst
> Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 7:01 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Mystery Marine Animal
>
> I was recently sent an image of a marine organism and asked if I could
> identify same.  The individual wrote:
>
> "Dear Sir,
>     I  found this strange animal with many dorsal scaly shell and soft
> ventral body, it was collected from -200m depth of southwestern Taiwan.
> Can
> you tell me what species it is? (seems like monoplacophoran? )
> Very thanks!
>
> Jay Pai"
>
> I do not know the size, but it looks relatively small.  I promised this
> guy
> I would check with some folks who might know - the old Conch-L net.  It is
> posted on Avril's Man and Mollusc site at:
> http://www.manandmollusc.net/Mystery_shell_pages/TomE.html
>
> Thanks Avril and thanks to anyone who has an idea about this critter.
>
> Tom Eichhorst
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------