A new record of the echiuran Echiurus echiurus (Pallas, 1767) from the east coast of southern Africa

Abstract

The species Echiurus echiurus (Pallas, 1767) of the family Echiuridae, originally described from shallow waters of the Belgian coast, was later recorded from many other localities in the northern hemisphere, predominantly in cold waters and extending even into the Arctic. The discovery of this species from the warm, subtropical waters of the east coast of southern Africa is the first record of its occurrence in the Southern hemisphere and marks a considerable extension of its geographic range. The species is briefly redescribed and some of the taxonomic characters have been reviewed.