Holothuria fuscopunctata

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Holothuria fuscopunctata
Holothuria fuscopunctata in situ.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. fuscopunctata
Binomial name
Holothuria fuscopunctata
Jaeger, 1833 [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • Holothuria axiologa Clark, 1921
In its natural environment Holothuria fuscopunctata Maldives.jpg
In its natural environment

Holothuria fuscopunctata, the elephant trunkfish, [1] 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. [2]

Contents

Description

A large sea cucumber, H. fuscopunctata reaches a maximum length of 70 cm (28 in), although a more usual length is about half this. It can weigh up to 4.5 kg (10 lb). [3] The body wall is thick and golden-brown with darker spots and dark brown wrinkles. The underside is whitish, the mouth being surrounded by twenty thick brown tentacles and the anus surrounded by a black band. The cloaca is large and black, but there are no Cuvierian tubules. [3]

Distribution and habitat

H. fuscopunctata has a wide distribution in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Its range extends from Madagascar and the eastern coast of Africa to Japan, China, Australia and the Mariana Islands, Palau and New Caledonia. Its depth range is down to a maximum of 30 m (100 ft); it is common in some parts of its range, but scarce in the Philippines, Federated States of Micronesia, and Marshall Islands. On the African coast it mostly occurs on sandy seabeds and seagrass meadows, but in the Central Pacific, it mostly occurs on reef slopes and on coral rubble, although it also lives in seagrass beds. [1]

Biology

This species feeds on organic material that it grazes on the seabed. [3] It is slow to mature and has low fecundity. The sexes are separate and breeding takes place in the warm season, between December and January. [3]

Status

Sea cucumbers are eaten in the Central Pacific. H. fuscopunctata is not particularly esteemed, but it is eaten as a poverty food in times of hardship, such as after cyclones. It is mostly harvested by skin-diving, and is likely to face greater exploitation as other more favoured species become scarcer. There are fisheries in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia; in Madagascar; in the Western Pacific, including the Torres Strait, and in Tuvalu. For the time being, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern", but it is vulnerable to over-exploitation because of its low fertility rate. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

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<i>Colochirus quadrangularis</i> Species of sea cucumber

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<i>Pearsonothuria</i> Genus of sea cucumbers

Pearsonothuria is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Holothuriidae. Pearsonothuria graeffei is the only species in the genus. Graeffe's sea cucumber is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean and the type locality is Viti Island, Fiji. It is named after Eduard Heinrich Graeffe, Semper's coworker at the Museum Godeffroy.

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

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

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<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.

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

Actinopyga echinites, commonly known as the brownfish or deep water redfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region and is harvested for food.

<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>Stichopus herrmanni</i> Species of sea cucumber

Stichopus herrmanni, or Herrmann's sea cucumber, is a species of holothuroidean echinoderm in the family Stichopodidae. It is found in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific Ocean, at depths down to 20 m (66 ft). This and several other species are known as curryfish and are harvested commercially; it is called gama in Indonesia.

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

Actinopyga capillata, the hairy sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is found in the tropical West Indo-Pacific region, having a disjunct range, with the main population in island groups in the western Indian Ocean, and a separate population in the Philippines.

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

Holothuria (Microthele) fuscogilva, also known as the white teatfish or white teeth, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Microthele. The cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean. The species is vulnerable to over-exploitation from commercial fishing. It was first formally named by Gustave Cherbonnier in 1980.

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

Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis, the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. The cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-pacific ocean. It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867.

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

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<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. 1 2 3 4 Conand, C.; Purcell, S.; Gamboa, R. (2013). "Holothuria fuscopunctata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T180414A1627956. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T180414A1627956.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Paulay, Gustav (2018). "Holothuria (Microthele) fuscopunctata Jaeger, 1833". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Holothuria fuscopunctata Jaeger, 1833: elephant trunkfish". SeaLifeBase. Retrieved 28 March 2018.