Heller, 1868
Description Body fusiform, attenuating at the ends, but the posterior end is not drawn into a long, tail-like prolongation; up to 150 mm in length; coloured pinkish.
Tentacles There are 10, tree-shaped tentacles.
Tube-feet Numerous small tube-feet are scattered over the body.
Skin The skin is thin and transparent, with calcareous deposits only at the posterior end of the animal. These deposits consist of small, more or less regular disks, with a spire composed of 2 rods.
Habitat This species has been recorded from depths of 30-180 m.
Distribution In the North Sea, this species is only known from the Shetland Islands. It is likely that this species is also generally distributed on the western British coasts. Elsewhere it is found southwards down to the Azores and the Mediterranean.
Remarks Several Thyone species are very similar in shape and some species names could turned out to be synonyms. |