Eupentacta quinquesemita

Eupentacta quinquesemita
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Holothuroidea
Order:	Dendrochirotida
Family:	Sclerodactylidae
Genus:	Eupentacta
Species:	E. quinquesemita
Binomial name
	Eupentacta quinquesemita; (Selenka, 1867)
Synonyms
	Cucumaria chronhjelmi Théel, 1886 ; Cucumaria quinquesemita Selenka, 1867 ; Eupentacta chronhjelmi (Théel, 1886) ;

Last updated October 02, 2024

Eupentacta quinquesemita is a species of sea cucumber, a marine invertebrate with an elongated body, a leathery skin and tentacles surrounding the mouth. It is commonly known as the stiff-footed sea cucumber or white sea cucumber,^[2] and occurs on rocky coasts in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Description

Eupentacta quinquesemita can grow to a length of up to 8 cm (3 in). The tube feet are arranged in four longitudinal rows; they are non-retractable and give the animal a spiny appearance. The skin between the tube feet is smooth, but both body wall and tube feet contain calcareous ossicles that make them stiff. The mouth is surrounded by ten branched feeding tentacles, the two lowest ones being smaller than the rest. The general body colour is white, the tentacles (often the only parts of the animal that are visible) being creamy-white, often with yellowish or pinkish bases. Bits of shell or other fragments often adhere to the tube feet.^[3]^[2]

Distribution and habitat

E. quinquesemita is found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, its range extending from Alaska to California.^[4] It is found on rocky shores in low intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, where it tends to hide itself in crevices and under boulders. It is common among harbour installations, pilings and floats, especially where there is vigorous water movement. Larvae often settle in locations with strong currents among hydroids and algae.^[3]

Ecology

A deposit and suspension feeder, E. quinquesemita uses its feeding tentacles to push material into its mouth, extracting the edible material and eliminating the unwanted debris. The larvae of a parasitic snail, Thyonicola americana , enter in this way and develop into adults which invade the viscera while maintaining a connection to the gut lumen to release offspring. The sea cucumber is preyed on by several species of starfish, such as Solaster stimpsoni , Pycnopodia helianthoides and Leptasterias hexactis , and fish such as the kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus).^[3]

This sea cucumber exhibits a seasonal pattern of evisceration, expelling its guts in the autumn and growing a new set in the spring, resulting in a high proportion of T. americana parasites not completing their life cycle, but not all individuals do this.^[5] Breeding takes place between March and May, females liberating large, yolky eggs into the sea where they are fertilised by sperm produced by the males. The larvae are well-ciliated but do not feed, developing their calcareous armour in about a fortnight before settling.^[3]

Related Research Articles

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Holothuria forskali, the black sea cucumber or cotton-spinner is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is found at shallow depths in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It was placed in the subgenus Panningothuria by Rowe in 1969 and is the type taxon of the subgenus.

Phyllophoridae is a family of sea cucumbers, marine invertebrates with elongated bodies, leathery skins and feeding tentacles.

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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.

Pawsonia saxicola, the sea gherkin, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Cucumariidae. It is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

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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.

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References

1 2 Paulay, Gustav (2010). "Eupentacta quinquesemita (Selenka, 1867)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 20 January 2018.
1 2 Williams, Kelly (2002). "Eupentacta quinquesemita (Selenka, 1867)". Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Walla Walla University. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
1 2 3 4 "Eupentacta quinquesemita". The Race Rocks Taxonomy. 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
↑ "Stiff-footed sea cucumber Eupentacta quinquesemita". INaturalist. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
↑ Byrne, Maria (1985). "The life history of the gastropod Thyonicola americana Tikasingh, endoparasitic in a seasonally eviscerating holothurian host" (PDF). Ophelia. 24 (2): 91–101. doi:10.1080/00785236.1985.10426622.

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[WoRMS-1] 1 2 Paulay, Gustav (2010). "Eupentacta quinquesemita (Selenka, 1867)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 20 January 2018.

[williams-2] 1 2 Williams, Kelly (2002). "Eupentacta quinquesemita (Selenka, 1867)". Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Walla Walla University. Retrieved 21 January 2018.

[RaceRocks-3] 1 2 3 4 "Eupentacta quinquesemita". The Race Rocks Taxonomy. 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

[INaturalist-4] "Stiff-footed sea cucumber Eupentacta quinquesemita". INaturalist. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

[Byrne-5] Byrne, Maria (1985). "The life history of the gastropod Thyonicola americana Tikasingh, endoparasitic in a seasonally eviscerating holothurian host" (PDF). Ophelia. 24 (2): 91–101. doi:10.1080/00785236.1985.10426622.

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