Esperiopsis macrosigma var. novaezealandiae Dendy 1924

Esperiopsis macrosigma var. novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924

(Fig. 7C)

Esperiopsis macrosigma var. novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924: 341, pl. XIII figs. 14–20; Bergquist & Fromont 1988: 27, pl. 6F. Esperiopsis macrosigma f. novaezealandiae; Lévi & Lévi 1983: 959, fig. 21.

The variety was described by Dendy from Three Kings Islands, New Zealand, 34.1667°S 172.0833°E, depth 183 m (holotype BMNH 1923.10.1.110). It was also reported as forma by Lévi & Lévi (1983: 959, fig. 21) from New Caledonia. It was erected as a Pacific member of the North Atlantic species E. macrosigma Stephens (1916: 235; 1921: 9, pl. II fig. 4, from the W coast of Ireland, 50.6167– 50.7°N 11.3– 11.5333°W, depth 457–991 m, syntype in the National Museum of Ireland, Natural History, with type slide BMNH 1953.11.11.81). The existence of a species with such a disjunct distribution (Ireland vs New Zealand and New Caledonia) is unlikely to be valid, and there are also spicule size differences, notably the isochelae of the Irish variety have a third category much larger (125 µm) than those of the Pacific specimens (60–80 µm). I propose to elevate the Pacific variety to the rank of distinct species as Esperiopsis novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924.