Holothuria forskali

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Holothuria forskali
Pepino de mar (Holothuria forskali), isla de Mouro, Santander, Espana, 2019-08-14, DD 38.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Holothuriida
Family: Holothuriidae
Genus: Holothuria
Species:
H. forskali
Binomial name
Holothuria forskali
Synonyms
  • H. catanensis Grube, 1840
  • H. nigra Peach, 1845
  • Stichopus selenkae Barrois, 1882 [2]
Holothuria forskali in the atlantic coast of Portugal. Pepino de mar negro (Holothuria forskali), Parque natural de la Arrabida, Portugal, 2020-07-31, DD 102.jpg
Holothuria forskali in the atlantic coast of Portugal.

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. [3]

Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates and are closely related to the sea urchins and starfish. All these groups tend to be radially symmetric and have a water vascular system that operates by hydrostatic pressure, enabling them to move around by use of many suckers known as tube feet. Sea cucumbers are usually leathery, gherkin-shaped animals with a cluster of short tentacles at one end.

Description

This sea cucumber has a cylindrical body and can grow to thirty centimetres long. It is usually deep brown or black but sometimes has an underlying yellowish mottling, especially on the underside. The skin is soft yet coarse and tough and is covered with fleshy papillae which are often tipped with white. The papillae are believed to be sensory organs sensitive to touch and possibly to chemicals dissolved in the water. [4] The underside has three rows of tube feet for walking and climbing while the upper side has two rows of rudimentary suckers. The anterior end has a bunch of twenty yellowish short, retractable tentacles encircling the mouth. At the posterior, inside the body cavity, there are a bundle of Cuvierian tubules or cotton glands which can be ejected as a tangle of sticky white threads to confuse or enmesh predators. [5]

Distribution

The black sea cucumber occurs around the Atlantic coasts of northwest Europe, the Canary Islands, the Azores and in the Mediterranean Sea. It is found on boulders and rocks, particularly vertical surfaces, from the intertidal zone down to a depth of about fifty metres. [2]

Biology

The black sea cucumber is a detritivore and feeds mostly at night. When feeding, it bends its body down towards the substrate, presses the ring of oral papillae against the surface and opens its mouth wide. It then extends and retracts its short tentacles repeatedly and "vacuums" up sediment, extracts the nutritious part and deposits the unmetabolised portion as a sausage-like string of droppings. When not feeding, the mouth is closed and the tentacles retracted and it is difficult to tell which is the head end of the animal. [6]

Adult black sea cucumbers are normally either male or female. The gonads take a long time to mature and gametes are released synchronously into the water column in early spring, probably as a result of a rise in water temperatures. [7] The larvae become part of the zooplankton. After several moults they grow tentacles and settle out onto the sea floor. Juveniles are seldom seen so it is surmised that they live by day in crevices and under rocks for protection from predators whereas the adults take no particular care to remain hidden. [6]

Ecology

The parasitic copepod Asterocheres boecki is an endoparasite of the black sea cucumber. [2]

It has been found that twenty-six saponins (triterpene glycosides) are present in the Cuvierian tubules and twelve in the animal's body wall. During stressful times, such as the presence of a predator, saponins are released into the surrounding water. It is thought that, though these are insufficient to harm a potential predator, they may serve as a warning that the cucumber is unpalatable. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea cucumber</span> Class of echinoderms

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holothuriida</span> Clade of sea cucumbers

Holothuriida is an order of sea cucumbers. Taxa within the order Holothuriida were previously classified in the order Aspidochirotida, which was determined to be polyphyletic in 2017. Some taxa were also reclassified into the clades Synallactida and Persiculida.

Evisceration is a method of autotomy involving the ejection of internal organs used by animals as a defensive strategy. Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) eject parts of the gut in order to scare and defend against potential predators such as crabs and fish. The organs are regenerated in a few days by cells in the interior of the sea cucumber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holothuriidae</span> Family of sea cucumbers

Holothuriidae is a family of sea cucumbers, a type of echinoderm.

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

Holothuria atra, commonly known as the black sea cucumber or lollyfish, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Holothuriidae. It was placed in the subgenus Halodeima by Pearson in 1914, making its full scientific name Holothuria (Halodeima) atra. It is the type species of the subgenus.

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

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.

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

Holothuria tubulosa, the cotton-spinner or tubular sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is the type species of the genus Holothuria and is placed in the subgenus Holothuria, making its full name Holothuria (Holothuria) tubulosa.

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

Holothuria thomasi, the tiger's tail, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. Although it is the largest sea cucumber known in the western Atlantic Ocean, it is so well camouflaged that it was 1980 before it was first described. It is placed in the subgenus Thymiosycia making its full name Holothuria (Thymiosycia) thomasi.

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

Bohadschia argus, the leopard sea cucumber, leopardfish, or tigerfish, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Holothuriidae.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuvierian tubules</span> Tubes found in some sea cucumbers

Cuvierian tubules are clusters of fine tubes located at the base of the respiratory tree in some sea cucumbers in the genera Bohadschia, Holothuria and Pearsonothuria, all of which are included in the family Holothuriidae. The tubules can be discharged through the anus when the sea cucumber is stressed. They lengthen when they come into contact with seawater and become adhesive when they encounter objects, functioning as a form of defense against predators or sources of danger. They are named after the French zoologist Georges Cuvier, who first described them.

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

Holothuria fuscocinerea, the ashy pink sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is placed in the subgenus Stauropora, making its full name Holothuria (Stauropora) fuscocinerea. It is native to shallow water in the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific.

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

Actinopyga caerulea, the blue sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is native to the tropical Western Indo-Pacific region and is harvested for food.

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

Holothuria hilla is a species of sea cucumber in the subgenus Mertensiothuria of the genus Holothuria. Some common names include the contractile sea cucumber, the sand sifting sea cucumber and the tigertail sea cucumber, and in Hawaii it is known as the light spotted sea cucumber. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea.

<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 difficilis</i> Species of sea cucumber

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.

<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.

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

Holothuria stellati, also known as the Brown sea cucumber,is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. First described by Delle Chiaje in 1824. There are two accepted subspecies, Holothuria stellatidakarensis and Holothuria stellati mammata, though there is still debate on whether or not they are separate species.

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

Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens, commonly known as the impatient sea cucumber or bottleneck sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Thymiosycia.

References

  1. ↑ Mercier, A.; Hamel, J.-F. (2013). "Holothuria forskali". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T180297A1612286. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T180297A1612286.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje, 1823. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  3. ↑ Rowe, F.W.E. (1969). "A review of the family Holothuriidae (Holothurioidea: Aspidochirotida)". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). 18 (4): 117–170. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.18419.
  4. ↑ Vandenspiegel, D.; Flammang, P.; Fourmeau, D.; Jangoux, M. (1995). "Fine structure of the dorsal papillae in the holothurioid Holothuria forskali (Echinodermata)". Tissue & Cell. 27 (4): 457–465. doi:10.1016/S0040-8166(95)80066-2. PMID   18621308.
  5. ↑ Barrett, J. & C. M. Yonge (1958) Collins Pocket Guide to the Sea Shore. Collins, London
  6. 1 2 The Cotton-Spinner
  7. ↑ Tuwo, A.; Conand, C. (2009). "Reproductive biology of the holothurian Holothuria forskali (Echinodermata)". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 72 (4): 745–758. doi:10.1017/S0025315400060021.
  8. ↑ Van Dyck, S.; Caulier, G.; Todesco, M.; Gerbaux, P.; Fournier, I.; Wisztorski, M.; Flammang, P. (2011). "The triterpene glycosides of Holothuria forskali: Usefulness and efficiency as a chemical defense mechanism against predatory fish". Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (8): 1347–1356. doi: 10.1242/jeb.050930 . PMID   21430212.
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