| Body color | Highly variable, four main patterns (Figs 1A–J, 8): 1) Chips (CH); 2) Uniform (U); 3) Reticulated (R); 4) Black and yellow (BY). | Highly variable, four main patterns (Figs 1Z–H’, 14): 1) Uniform (U); 2) Dark and white (DW); 3) Light and sharp dark (LSD); 4) Dark green and light papillae (DGL). | Highly variable, four main patterns (Figs 1K–Y, 17–18): 1) Uniform (U); 2) Dark and white (DW); 3) Light and sharp dark (LSD); 4) Light and blurry dark (LBD). | Highly variable, four main patterns (Figs 1I’–O’, 21): 1) Chocolate brown uniform (BU); 2) Chocolate brown and stains (BS); 3) Chocolate brown and reddish (BR); 4) Reticulated pattern (R). | Not variable, dorsal side light yellow-brown in the background, with irregularly arranged blurred big and small spots in a darker brown color (Figs 1P’–Q’, 22, 24). |
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| Small dark spots surrounded by a clear halo and a dark thin line on white blotches or on the background | Absent | Absent | Present | Absent | Absent |
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| Whitish spot-like granules | Absent | Present | Absent | Absent | Absent |
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| Spiral lines on dorsal and lateral papillae | Absent | Sometimes present | Present | Absent | Absent |
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| Body wall appearance in live specimens | Opaque/Smooth | Opaque/Smooth | Semi translucent/Rugose | Opaque/Smooth | Semi translucent/Smooth |
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| C–shaped ossicles | 52–130 (x = 80) µm | 54–90 µm (x = 69) µm | 45–98 (x = 71) µm | 60–109 (x = 81) µm | 91–155 (x = 113) µm |
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| Tables in dorsal papillae | Regular Isostichopus tables, discs fully developed (Figs 2A, 7A) | 1) Regular Isostichopus tables, discs fully developed (Figs 2A–B, 13A) 2) Modified maculatus tables (Figs 2D, 13A) | Regular Isostichopus tables, discs fully developed (Figs 2A, 16A) | Regular Isostichopus tables, discs fully developed (Figs 2A, 20A) | Regular Isostichopus tables, discs fully developed in small and medium size specimens; discs completely reduced in large specimens (Figs 2C, 23A) |
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| Table height in dorsal papillae | 1) 33–70 (x = 52) µm Juveniles: 33–41 (x = 37) µm | 1) 58–86 (x = 71) µm 2) 60–108 (x = 86) µm | 1) 31–78 (x = 52) µm Juveniles: 31–46 (x = 38) µm | 1) 34–65 (x =50) µm Juveniles: 34–46 (x = 41) µm | 1) 29–38 (x =34) µm Juveniles: 31–48 µm (x = 40) µm |
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| Table disc diameter in dorsal papillae | 1) 39–81 (x = 58) µm | 1) 62–95 (x = 80) µm 2) 66–141 (x = 106) µm | 1) 39–84 (x = 64) µm | 1) 42–95 (x = 63) µm | 1) 17–27 (x = 23) µm Juveniles: 24–77 (x = 48) µm |
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| Worm–like rods in dorsal papillae | Absent | Sometimes present | Present | Absent | Absent |
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| Tables in mouth membrane (Fig. 11) | Large tables, usually tall spire | Large tables, low spire usually incomplete | Large tables, usually flat spire | Large tables, some specimens without tables | Large tables, tall spire, sometimes incomplete |
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| Tridimensional spheres and straight/spiky rods in the Respiratory tree (Fig. 23F) | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present |
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| Large tables with a circular spire well developed in the cloaca (Figs 11D, 19C, 20F). | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present | Absent |
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| Habitat (Individuals>13 cm | Muddy, sandy, rocky, or mixed | Rocky, sandy and mixed bottom. | Rocky bottoms associated with | Rocky or mixed bottoms. | Rocky bottom, in the back |
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| long) | bottoms and seagrass beds | | live corals, sponges, rubble, or rocks | | reef, reef crest, and fore reef. |
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| Behavior (during day) | Exposed | Exposed? | Hidden, although exposed for short times | Semi–exposed or exposed | Hidden? under or among rocks |
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| Abundance | Abundant at some localities | Abundant at some localities | Abundant at some localities | Abundant at some localities | Not common |
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| Distribution (Fig. 5) | West Atlantic, from North Carolina to Brazil, including Bermuda and the Antilles | East and Mid Atlantic: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gabon, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, and Ascension island | West Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea | East Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including Isla del Coco, Malpelo, Galapagos, Lobos de Afuera Islands. | West Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, confirmed in only a few localities |
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