Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus Roux, Thuy & Gale, 2025, sp. nov.

Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus sp. nov. Fig. 5F–G Type material: a single aboral cup (holotype OPH206). Etymology: from sediment dated to the Pliocene. Diagnosis: as the description of the holotype. Arms and stalk unknown. Type locality: Mascarene Plateau, to the east and west of the island of Rodrigues, Indian Ocean. Description of the holotype: Elongate aboral cup with lower half inverted conical and upper half subcylindrical (Fig. 5F), basals fused, discrete suture between radials, height (H) 1.90 mm, (D) maximum diameter 0.85 mm, H/D 2.23, diameter of radial ring 0.81 mm, aboral diameter (Dp) 0.40 mm, Dp/D 0.47; adoral face with moderate central depression at bottom of which lumen of axial canal obscured by stereomic plug, discrete adoral radial grooves, ratio central depression to radial ring diameter 0.59; distal synarthry of radials with deep muscular areas, aboral ligament area restricted to outer margin and very prominent interradial ridges on inner side (Fig. 5G). Remarks: The good preservation of the adoral face morphology allows us to see that Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus n. sp. displays characters identical to those of the type species of the genus (Fig.3H) as described by Roux et al. (2019). C. cherbonnieri differs in having a slightly greater cup size (H 2.2 mm, D 1.50 mm) a regular inverted conical shape moderately elongated (H/D 1.47) with sides slightly convex, and a smaller adoral diameter (Dp/D 0.40) (Roux 1976). Occurrence: Indian Ocean, western Rodrigues Ridge at a depth of 1460 m (biotope possibly shallower). PlioPleistocene.