| Holothuriidae (sea cucumbers) |
| 26 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 800.0 g |
|
reef-associated; marine; depth range 3 - 16 m |
| Indo-Pacific, excluding Hawaii. |
|
Mean live weight, 300 to 800 g; body thickness 0.4 cm. Body cylindrical, flattened ventrally (trivium). Bivium smooth and rigid. Podia on bivium long, slender, conical, and irregularly arranged; podia on trivium more numerous, shorter and irregularly arranged on the radii and interradii; calcareous disc of podia around 400 micrometer in diameter. Mouth ventral, surrounded by 20 short tentacles. Anus nearly dorsal, surrounded by 5 groups of radial papillae. Calcareous ring with large radial pieces and narrow interradials having sharp tops. Cuvierian tubules long and large. Variable color among specimens and localities; bivium beige to light brown, showing characteristic brown spots; trivium lighter, yellowish. Spicules on ventral tegument with simple nodules with or without holes and sparse rods giving rise to rosettes; dorsal tegument with rosettes and small biscuit-like plates; ventral podia with variable rods; dorsal podia with x-shaped rods; tops of tentacles with spiny rods. |
| May be harvested along with other reef flat species, such as Holothuria scabra, when they occur together, but the sticky Cuvierian tubules make the collection and processing disagreeable; Collected by divers. Processed product is not distinguished from those of other Bohadschia species; little commercial value. Found in very shallow waters; occurs in coastal lagoons or inner reef flats, generally burrowing in sandy-muddy bottoms. Populations can reach densities of 0.03 per square meter. Biology poorly known (Ref. 122). |
|
Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 18 May 2010 Ref. 123251)
|
| harmless |
|
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