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.
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.
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.
Pelagothuria is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Pelagothuriidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Pelagothuria natatrix.
Chiridotidae is a family of sea cucumbers found in the order Apodida. Within the family, there are 16 recognized genera all with different ranges of body types and functions. Sea cucumbers play a fundamental role in many marine ecosystems.
Elpidiidae is a family of deep-sea sea cucumbers.
Leptosynapta dolabrifera, the snot sea cucumber, is a small sea cucumber under the class Holothuroidea (1), in the family Synaptidae. It is most closely related to another species in its genus of 34 species Leptosynapta known as Leptosynapta inhaerens.
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.
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.
Benthodytes is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psychropotidae.
Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. Holothuria comes from Latin but is originally taken from Greek. Its meaning is a plantlike animal whose origin is uncertain.
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.
John Engle Miller III is an American marine biologist and retired bishop of the Anglican Church in North America. He is a former Episcopal priest who played an active role in the Anglican realignment in the United States. Consecrated in 2008 to serve as a bishop in the Anglican Mission in the Americas, Miller later served as assisting bishop in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese and provided interim support during episcopal vacancies and leaves of absence in the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes and the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest.
