Elasipodida Théel, 1882

Mackenzie, Melanie, Davey, Niki, Burghardt, Ingo & Haines, Margaret L., 2024, A report of sea cucumbers collected on the first dedicated deep-sea biological survey of Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories around Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), Memoirs of Museum Victoria (Mem. Mus. Vic.) 83, pp. 207-316 : 210

Order Elasipodida Théel, 1882

Diagnosis. (see Théel, 1882)

Remarks. The Elasipodida are a deep-sea order of sea cucumbers lacking respiratory trees. They are typically gelatinous, have peltate feeding tentacles, and have tube feet adapted for walking along the seafloor or fused for swimming. Unfortunately, the often-soft outer skin is easily damaged during collection, and their watery bodies also make preservation difficult. The order comprises four currently accepted families: Elpidiidae , Laetmogonidae , Pelagothuriidae and Psychropotidae , all of which are represented in Australian waters. As expected for this dominant deep-sea order, all four families were also represented in the IOT material. Hansen (1975) reviewed the Elasipodida comprehensively in the Galathea Report , and despite subsequent revisions for specific groups, this remains one of the best overall sources for descriptions and keys for the order.