| Benthodytes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Benthodytes sanguinolenta [1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Elasipodida |
| Family: | Psychropotidae |
| Genus: | Benthodytes Théel, 1882 [2] |
Benthodytes is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psychropotidae. [3]
This group of sea cucumbers was first described by scientists aboard the H.M.S. Challenger during its 1873-1876 voyage. [4] Théel described the genus: "Body more or less depressed, with the anterior part of its brim rather large. Mouth ventral, at a greater distance from the foremost extremity of the body. Anus posterior, dorsal, usually almost terminal. Tentacles (?) twelve to twenty. Pedicels arranged in a single row round the brim of the body and in a double one along the odd ambulacrum. The dorsal surface seldom naked, commonly with a greater or smaller number of retractile or non-retractile, more or less inconsiderable processes, arranged in a single row all along each ambulacrum or in an irregular double row, or scattered over the lateral interambulacrae." [4] Théel also documented the details of species B. typica, B. sanguinolenta, and B. abyssicola. [4]
Among Psychropotidae, Benthodytes (synonym Benthodites) are characterized by "soft retractile tentacles, circum-oral or post-oral papillae and the absence of an unpaired dorsal appendage." [5]
Several species of Benthodytes are good indicators of the potential impacts of deep-sea mining and have been the subject of multiple studies. [6] [7] Identification of distinct species is most often based on photography, since the delicate anatomy of the sea cucumbers is often damaged in the process of sampling. [6] Genome sequencing technology is paving the way for more accurate accounts of the evolution and taxonomy of Benthodytes species, starting with B. rosea and B. typica. [8] Additionally, the mitochondrial genome of B. marianensis has been sequenced and was found to contain a novel gene arrangement among holothurians that could be an adaptation allowing for survival at great depths. [9]
Several species included in the genus Benthodytes have been reclassified using different nomenclature. [10] This list is subject to change as phylogenetic data clarifies the relationships among difficult-to-identify creatures whose soft appendages are often lost in the process of sample collection. [11]
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea. They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. They are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of known holothurian species worldwide is about 1,786, with the greatest number being in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred to as trepang, namako, bêche-de-mer, or balate. Sea cucumbers serve a useful role in the marine ecosystem as they help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter, after which bacteria can continue the decomposition process.
Scotoplanes is a genus of deep-sea sea cucumbers of the family Elpidiidae. Its species are commonly known as sea pigs.
The orange-footed sea cucumber is the largest sea cucumber in New England, United States. It is one of the most abundant and widespread species of holothurians within the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea (Russia), being most abundant along the eastern coast of North America.
Enypniastes is a genus of deep-sea sea cucumber. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Enypniastes eximia. Due to its unique appearance, the species has been dubbed the headless chicken fish, headless chicken monster, and the Spanish dancer. It is also known as the swimming sea cucumber, and some are called the pink see-through fantasia.
Elasipodida is an order of sea cucumbers. They have numerous appendages, including conical papillae and leaf-like tentacles. Although many species are benthic, a number are pelagic, and may have their appendages modified to form sails or fins. Most members of the order inhabit deep-sea environments, such as the species of the genus Enypniastes.
Psychropotes is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psychropotidae. The members of this genus possess the ability to swim, although this is only facultative.
Psychropotes longicauda is a species of sea cucumber in the family Psychropotidae. It inhabits the deep sea where the adult is found on the seabed. The larva is pelagic and has an appendage shaped like a sail on its back which may enable it to move through the water.
Pelagothuriidae is a family of deep-sea swimming sea cucumbers. They are somewhat unusual in appearance, in comparison with other sea cucumbers, having numerous appendages, including conical papillae and leaf-like tentacles. Most of them are benthopelagic, which means that they are able to swim for a time from the bottom : the species Pelagothuria natatrix is the only true pelagic holothurian ; it looks like a jellyfish. Most members of the order inhabit deep-sea environments, like Enypniastes.
Holothuria scabra, or sandfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It was placed in the subgenus Metriatyla by Rowe in 1969 and is the type species of the subgenus. Sandfish are harvested and processed into "beche-de-mer" and eaten in China and other Pacific coastal communities.
Colochirus robustus, commonly known as the robust sea cucumber or the yellow sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Cucumariidae. It is found in shallow seas in tropical parts of the central Indo-Pacific region. C. robustus belongs to the class Holothuroidea, a group of echinoderms called sea cucumbers and known for unusual behavior including evisceration, asexual reproduction, and regeneration. The robust sea cucumber has a soft body and lacks a spine, but it does have an endoskeleton consisting of microscopic spicules, or ossicles, made of calcium carbonate. C. robustus has a respiratory tree that allows it to extract oxygen for respiration, using the anus to pump water. The robust sea cucumber is an important dietary staple for many East and Southeast Asian populations, and has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Recent research suggests that peptides from C. robustus enhance the activity of the immune system.
Johan Hjalmar Théel was a Swedish zoologist and university professor.
Scotoplanes globosa, commonly known as the sea pig, is a species of sea cucumber that lives in the deep sea. It was first described by Hjalmar Théel, a Swedish scientist. Scotoplanes globosa, along with numerous other sea cucumbers were discovered by Théel during an expedition on HMS Challenger between the years of 1873-1876. Scotoplanes globosa was officially described in 1882, 6 to 9 years after its first sighting. Scotoplanes globosa is most closely related to the genus Peniagone.
Psychropotes semperiana is a species of sea cucumber in the family Psychropotidae.
Psolus chitonoides, also known as the slipper sea cucumber, armoured sea cucumber, creeping armoured sea cucumber, or creeping pedal sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Psolidae. It is found in shallow water on the western coast of North America. The scientific name "chitonoides" means resembling a chiton.
Cucumaria vegae, also known as tiny black sea cucumber or northern tar spot, is a species of sea cucumber. It was first described to science by Johan Hjalmar Théel in 1886 reporting on the sea cucumber specimens brought back by the Challenger expedition. Among these was the type specimen for this species, which was collected at Bering Island.
Pannychia moseleyi is a sea cucumber in the family Laetmogonidae. It was first described by Johan Hjalmar Théel in 1882. It can be up to 200 mm long and 40 mm wide. It occurs in the benthic zone at depths greater than 400 m.
Psychropotidae is a family of deep-sea swimming sea cucumbers. The geographic range of some psychropotids is very extensive at abyssal depths, whereas other species are found within more restricted ranges.
Psycheotrephes is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psychropotidae.
Chiridota heheva is a species of sea cucumber in the family Chiridotidae. The species is known from deeper regions in the Western Atlantic Ocean, but has a cosmopolitan distribution. It was described by Pawson and Vance in 2004. It occupies all three types of chemosynthetic ecosystems; hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and organic fall. Unlike many other animals in similar environments, they do not host chemosynthetic bacteria.