Holothuria pervicax

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Holothuria pervicax
Holothuria pervicax Reunion.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Holothuriida
Family: Holothuriidae
Genus: Holothuria
Subgenus: Mertensiothuria
Species:
H. cinerascens
Binomial name
Holothuria cinerascens
Selenka, 1867

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. [1] It is commonly found buried beneath rocks on reefs in warm waters. [2]

Contents

Description

Holothuria perviax is a gray or brown sea cucumber with red-brown papillae and white tube feet for locomotion. [2] Its body is elongated with an oral-aboral orientation and can grow up to 30 centimeters. [1] It has a soft epidermis and a somewhat bumpy body. Its mouth is surrounded by thin branched tentacles [2] with poorly formed spricules found around the body. [3] Distinctions between H. perviax and sister species fusconierea are hard to find but the main differences are spicule size and slight coloration differences. [2]

This species is very high maintenance and requires a specific lifestyle in order to survive. Aquariums have had a very hard time keeping these animals happy and have yet to keep one alive in captivity which has earned this species the name "stubborn sea cucumber". [1]

Distribution

Commonly found in the Maldives, Australia, Cebu (Philippines), Cook Islands, Comoros, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Indo Pacific, Indonesia, Johnston Atoll, Kenya, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Reunion, Somalia, Sulu Sea, Tansania, The cocos Islands, The Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean. Its preferred habitat is under rocks in reefs found in warmer waters ranging from 24°C to 28.7°C. [1]

Reproduction

Sexes are separate in these cucumbers with individuals having one gonad. [4] Fertilization and spawning happen externally. Their planktonic larvae (auricularia) morph with age into barrel shaped larvae and then finally into juvenile sea cucumbers. [5]

Diet

Sea cucumbers are effective suspension and deposit feeders typically becoming active feeding at night. They have conveyor belt feeding methods where they ingest the substrate's surface and defecate on it. [1]

Ecology

Holothuria perviax has many defense mechanisms to fight against being preyed upon. It is able to expel its guts as well as large amounts of Cuvierian tubules when disturbed. These cucumbers can release a toxin called holothurian that has the ability to kill fish, small worms, and mollusks. It can be released through the anus or the front of the body causing rupture of the tentacles, pharynx, and part of the intestine that can be regenerated over time. Expulsion through the anus is used to entangle prey but the tubule is destroyed in the process and takes weeks to regenerate. The toxin may be expelled after the cucumber dies, if it gets damaged, or if an animal is picking at it. Change in temperature or salinity will cause release of the toxin and it only takes about 5 mins to kill a fish, which explains why this species is so hard to keep in captivity. [6]  

Research has found that this cucumber secretes a biologically active glycosphingolipid HPG-7 that is a major component of cell membranes. [7] Glycosophingolipids function as antigens, mediators of cell adhesion, and aid signal transduction. [8] Sea cucumbers have high commercial value due to their production of nutrients such as vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Many of these nutrients can be used in pharmaceutical medicines such as anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor and wound healing. [9]

Photos


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echinoderm</span> Exclusively marine phylum of animals with generally 5-point radial symmetry

An echinoderm is any member of the phylum Echinodermata. The adults are recognisable by their radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea lilies or "stone lilies". Adult echinoderms are found on the sea bed at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. The phylum contains about 7,000 living species, making it the second-largest grouping of deuterostomes, after the chordates. Echinoderms are the largest entirely marine phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.

<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. 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 decomposition process.

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.

<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.

The worm pearlfish is an eel-like fish in the family Carapidae.

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

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.

<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>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>Colochirus robustus</i> Species of echinoderm

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.

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

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.

<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>

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 so that they function as a defence against potential predators. They are named after the French zoologist Georges Cuvier, who first described them.

<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>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>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 Hawai'i 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.

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.

<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 5 Bourjon, Philippe. "Holothuria (Stauropora) pervicax Stubborn sea cucumber". Reeflex. Retrieved 2022-04-11.[ unreliable source? ]
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cannon, L.R.G. "Marine Species Identification Portal: Holothuria pervicax". species-identification.org. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  3. ↑ Jain, Khusboo (2016-05-27). "Holothuria: An Example of Phylum Echinodermata". Biology Discussion. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  4. ↑ "Holothuria (Stauropora) pervicax Selenka 1867 - Encyclopedia of Life". Sea Life Base. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  5. ↑ "Holothuria pervicax, Stubborn sea cucumber: fisheries". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  6. ↑ Goemans, Bob (2012). "Section: Sea Cucumbers". www.saltcorner.com. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  7. ↑ Higuchi, Ryuichi (January 2000). "Constituents of Holothuroidea.9. Isolation and Structure of a New Ganglioside Molecular Species from the Sea Cucumber Holothuria pervicax". Chem. Pharm. Bull. 48 (1): 157–159. doi: 10.1248/cpb.48.157 . PMID   10705496 – via NII electronic library.
  8. ↑ Hakomori, Senitiroh (January 2003). "Structure, organization, and function of glycosphingolipids in membrane". Current Opinion in Hematology. 10 (1): 16–24. doi:10.1097/00062752-200301000-00004. PMID   12483107. S2CID   2508713.
  9. ↑ Saari, Nazamid (October 2011). "High-Value Components and Bioactives from Sea Cucumbers for Functional Foods—A Review". Marine Drugs. 9 (10): 1761–1805. doi: 10.3390/md9101761 . PMC   3210605 . PMID   22072996.


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