| Holothuria impatiens | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Holothuriida |
| Family: | Holothuriidae |
| Genus: | Holothuria |
| Species: | H. impatiens |
| Binomial name | |
| Holothuria impatiens | |
Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens, commonly known as the impatient sea cucumber [3] or bottleneck sea cucumber, [4] is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria , subgenus Thymiosycia.
Holothuria impatiens has an elongated cylindrical body and grows to a length of about 15 cm (6 in). The leathery skin is mottled brown, grey or purplish-brown, often banded in alternating bands of pale and dark colour. The surface is covered with low, rounded papillae, feeling rough to the touch, and this distinguishes this species from the otherwise similar Holothuria hilla . Some of the papillae are surrounded by concentric brown rings. Embedded in the skin are bony ossicles in the form of smooth rounded buttons and square tables. There is a crown of about twenty tentacles at the anterior, thinner end, and this end may be darker in colour than the posterior end. [3] [5]
Holothuria impatiens has a wide distribution, its range including the tropical Indo-Pacific, the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mediterranean Sea and coasts of France. [4] It is typically found on reef flats, in lagoons, or in open areas, usually underneath rocks or coral rubble, at depths from about 2 m (7 ft) down to 40 m (100 ft). [5]
Holothuria impatiens may get its common name from the fact that it readily expels sticky cuvierian tubules (enlargements of the respiratory tree that float freely in the body cavity) when handled, [3] a defensive strategy that distracts potential predators. This sea cucumber is nocturnal and very cryptic: it prefers to dwell in small crevices. Having found a suitable crack, it relaxes its longitudinal muscles and works its way into the crevice, then stiffens its collagen fibres to make itself secure. When feeding, it only half-emerges from the crack. It is a deposit feeder, sifting through the sediment with its feeding tentacles and ingesting the dead biological material it finds, such as fragments of seaweed. [6]
On the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, reproduction takes place once a year, in late spring or early summer. Females produce a small number of large eggs; some related species of sea cucumbers additionally reproduce asexually by transverse fission, but H. impatiens has never been observed to do this. [7]
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. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothurian species worldwide is about 1,717 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 degradation process.
Fire corals (Millepora) are a genus of colonial marine organisms that exhibit physical characteristics similar to that of coral. The name coral is somewhat misleading, as fire corals are not true corals but are instead more closely related to Hydra and other hydrozoans, making them hydrocorals. They make up the only genus in the monotypic family Milleporidae.
Porites astreoides, commonly known as mustard hill coral or yellow porites, is a colonial species of stony coral in the family Poritidae.
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.
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 typetaxon of the subgenus.
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.
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.
Holothuria spinifera, the brown sandfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is placed in the subgenus Theelothuria, making its full name Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera. In India it is known as cheena attai or raja attai. It lives in tropical regions of the west Indo-Pacific Ocean at depths ranging from 32 to 60 metres. It is fished commercially to produce beche-de-mer.
Holothuria floridana, the Florida sea cucumber, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Holothuriidae. It is found on the seabed just below the low tide mark in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Holothuria parvula, the golden sea cucumber, is a species of echinoderm in the class Holothuroidea. It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867 and has since been placed in the subgenus Platyperona, making its full scientific name Holothuria (Platyperona) parvula. It is found in shallow areas of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and is unusual among sea cucumbers in that it can reproduce by breaking in half.
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.
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.
Pavona cactus, the cactus coral, potato chip coral or leaf coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Agariciidae. This coral is found in shallow waters on reefs and in lagoons in tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific region.
Euapta godeffroyi, the sticky snake sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae. It is found on coral reefs in the tropical Indo-Pacific region.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Holothuria (Selenkothuria) glaberrima, also known as the brown rock sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Selenkothuria. The cucumber is distributed in the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. The species is found at a depth of 0–42 meters.
