Apostichopus japonicus

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Apostichopus japonicus
Apostichopus japonicus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Synallactida
Family: Stichopodidae
Genus: Apostichopus
Species:
A. japonicus
Binomial name
Apostichopus japonicus
(Selenka, 1867)
Synonyms [2]
  • Holothuria armata Selenka, 1867
  • Stichopus japonicus Selenka, 1867
  • Stichopus japonicus var. typicus Théel, 1886
  • Stichopus roseus Augustin, 1908

Apostichopus japonicus is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae. [2] It is found in shallow temperate waters along the coasts of south east Asia and is commonly known as the Japanese spiky sea cucumber or the Japanese sea cucumber.

Contents

Description

The Japanese sea cucumber has a cylindrical leathery body with blunt, thorny protuberances. At the anterior or front end there is a mouth surrounded by a ring of short feeding tentacles and at the posterior end is the anus. There are three different colour morphs, red, green and black. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Japanese sea cucumber is found along the coast of Russia, China, Japan and Korea. The range extends from Alaska and Sakhalin Island to the Amami Islands, Japan. [3] The red morphs are found on gravel beds offshore at depths of 40 metres (130 ft) or deeper while the other two colours are found intermingled on muddy and sandy bottoms at shallower depths. [3] Although the red morph may breed red offspring due to its reproductive isolation in a different microhabitat, DNA studies have shown that there is a limited degree of genetic difference between it and the other two colour morphs while there is no significant difference between the black and green forms. [4] In lagoons in southern Sakhalin, Russia, Japanese spiky sea cucumber are found on solid substrates among growth of the red alga Ahnfeltia tobuchiensis and in oyster beds ( Crassostrea gigas ). [5]

Biology

The Japanese sea cucumber sifts through the sediment on the seabed with its tentacles and feeds on detritus and other organic matter including plant and animal remains, bacteria, protozoa, diatoms and faeces. [3]

The sexes are separate in the Japanese sea cucumber. Males and females release a mass of gametes into the sea where fertilization takes place. In the laboratory, spawning from ripe gonads can be induced by varying the temperature at which the adults are kept or by use of the neuropeptide cubifrin. [6] The planktonic larvae develop through several stages before settling on hard surfaces on the seabed, undergoing metamorphosis and becoming juveniles. [7]

The Japanese sea cucumber lives in temperate seas. In locations where the water heats up excessively in summer it undergoes aestivation, going into a state of dormancy. [3] In this state, feeding stops, the gut degenerates, the metabolism slows down and weight is lost. The threshold temperature is about 25 °C (77 °F), higher for smaller individuals and for those from the southern part of the range where the ambient water temperature is higher. [8] This sea cucumber has been known to continue in aestivation in some areas of China for four years. [9]

Use as food

Japanese sea cucumber served Putian style in soup Prickly sea cucumber soup.jpg
Japanese sea cucumber served Putian style in soup

The Japanese sea cucumber is used as food. The largest fishery is in Japan where between 2000 and 2005, an average of 8,101 tonnes of this species were harvested annually. [3] The red form is known there as "aka namako" and sells at a different price from "ao namako", the green morph and "kuro namako", the black one. In Russia and North Korea, overfishing has reduced populations considerably. [3] Fishing methods include diving and hand collection at depths of up to 20 metres (66 ft) and the use of trawls at greater depths. In the 1920s, a "sea cucumber fork" was developed in China. It is operated from several small vessels working together and allows harvest from depths of up to 60 metres (200 ft). [3]

The Japanese sea cucumber is also cultivated on a commercial scale in shallow ponds and by sea ranching in northern China, where production reached 5,865 tonnes in 2002. [3] Rocks and tiles are placed on the bottom to provide settlement for larvae and protection from predators. [7] Breeding programs are under way to improve growth rates and disease resistance and the genome is being sequenced. [8] Hatchery techniques are being developed in Japan and China as are the preparation of suitable culture feeds and the investigation of the best methods of ranching. [3] Albino forms and a thermally resistant strain that is less prone to aestivate are being developed in China. [10]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Bohadschia marmorata</i> Species of sea cucumber

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<i>Holothuria floridana</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria floridana, the Florida sea cucumber, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Holothuriidae. It is found on the seabed just below the low tide mark in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

<i>Holothuria parvula</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria parvula, the golden sea cucumber, is a species of echinoderm in the class Holothuroidea. It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867 and has since been placed in the subgenus Platyperona, making its full scientific name Holothuria (Platyperona) parvula. It is found in shallow areas of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and is unusual among sea cucumbers in that it can reproduce by breaking in half.

<i>Holothuria leucospilota</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria leucospilota, commonly known as the black sea cucumber or black tarzan, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Holothuriidae. It is placed in the subgenus Mertensiothuria making its full scientific name Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota. It is the type species of the subgenus and is found on the seabed in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Holothuria edulis</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria edulis, commonly known as the edible sea cucumber or the pink and black sea cucumber, is a species of echinoderm in the family Holothuriidae. It was placed in the subgenus Halodeima by Pearson in 1914, making its full scientific name Holothuria (Halodeima) edulis. It is found in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean.

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<i>Eupentacta quinquesemita</i> Species of sea cucumber

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<i>Holothuria fuscocinerea</i> Species of sea cucumber

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<i>Holothuria fuscopunctata</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria fuscopunctata, the elephant trunkfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae native to shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific. It is placed in the subgenus Microthele, making its full name Holothuria (Microthele) fuscopunctata.

<i>Synaptula recta</i> Species of sea cucumber

Synaptula recta, sometimes known as the gut-like sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata. It occurs in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific region.

Holothuria grisea, the gray sea cucumber, is a mid-sized coastal species of sea cucumber found in shallow tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Southern Brazil and West Africa. They have a variety in color and can range from red to more yellowish with brown markings. They are also a food source for local and international markets with the majority of harvesting taking place in Brazil. This species is currently not over-fished and is not endangered or threatened.

<i>Actinopyga varians</i> Species of sea cucumber

Actinopyga varians, the Pacific white-spotted sea cucumber or Hawaiian sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and also in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

<i>Holothuria flavomaculata</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuriaflavomaculata, also known as the red snakefish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae found in the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Holothuria pervicax</i> Species of sea cucumber

Holothuria pervicax is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. It is commonly called the stubborn sea cucumber due to its inability to be kept alive in captivity. It is commonly found buried beneath rocks on reefs in warm waters.

References

  1. ↑ Hamel, J.-F.; Mercier, A. (2013). "Apostichopus japonicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T180424A1629389. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T180424A1629389.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Paulay, Gustav (2010). "Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poh-Sze Choo. "Population status, fisheries and trade of sea cucumbers in Asia" (PDF). FAO. Retrieved 2012-06-09.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ Kanno, Manami; Suyama, Yoshihisa; Li, Qi; Kijima, Akihiro (2006). "Microsatellite Analysis of Japanese Sea Cucumber, Stichopus (Apostichopus) japonicus, Supports Reproductive Isolation in Color Variants". Marine Biotechnology. 8 (6): 672–685. Bibcode:2006MarBt...8..672K. doi:10.1007/s10126-006-6014-8. PMID   17043749. S2CID   22922129.
  5. ↑ Dubrovskii, S. V.; Sergeenko, V. A. (2002). "Distribution Pattern of Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus in Busse Lagoon (Southern Sakhalin)". Russian Journal of Marine Biology. 28 (2): 87–93. doi:10.1023/A:1015336326263. S2CID   10353905.
  6. ↑ Fujiwara, Atushi; Yamano, Keisuke; Ohno, Kaoru; Yoshikuni, Michiyasu (2010). "Spawning induced by cubifrin in the Japanese common sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus". Fisheries Science. 76 (5): 795–801. Bibcode:2010FisSc..76..795F. doi:10.1007/s12562-010-0262-2. S2CID   28804971.
  7. 1 2 Wang Renbo; Cheng Yuan. "Breeding and culture of the sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, Liao". FAO: Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  8. 1 2 Du, H.; Bao, Z.; Hou, R.; Wang, S.; Su, H.; et al. (2012). "Transcriptome sequencing and characterization for the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867)". PLOS ONE. 7 (3): e33311. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...733311D. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033311 . PMC   3299772 . PMID   22428017.
  9. ↑ Liu, Y.; Li, F.; Song, B.; Sun, H.; Zhang X.; Gu, B. (1996). "Study on aestivating habit of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus Selenka: ecological characteristics of aestivation". Journal of Fishery Sciences of China. 3: 41–48.
  10. ↑ "New Progress in Artificial Apostichopus Japonicus Breeding of Thermal Tolerant Strain and Albino Strain". IOCAS. 2010. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
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