| Stichopus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stichopus herrmanni | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Synallactida |
| Family: | Stichopodidae |
| Genus: | Stichopus Brandt, 1835 |
| Species | |
See text | |
Stichopus is a genus of sea cucumbers from the family Stichopodidae.
Sources disagree about how many species should be classified in the genus. By 1922 there were about 20 described. [1] Current species counts range from about 8 to 14. [2] A number of animals have been moved to other genera, such as Apostichopus and Isostichopus . [2]
These sea cucumbers are relatively large. One of the largest is S. vastus, which can reach 40 [3] to 50 centimeters in length. They have soft, quadrangular bodies covered on all four sides with thick tubercles. [1] Some of them can be quite variable, especially in their coloration. S. rubermaculosus, for example, can be light yellow to dark green with patches of various colors. Species also often differ in color from each other. One of the most distinctive is S. chloronotus, which is black, tinged with green or blue. Some of its body tubercles are tipped with orange. [3] S. vastus looks "like a giant caterpillar" with yellow and green zebra stripes. [1]
Many sea cucumbers are valued as food and as a source of medicine, and Stichopus is a commonly exploited genus. S. monotuberculatus is used for both food and medicine.[ citation needed ]Stichopus species are important in traditional medicine practices in Malaysia. [4] There they are known as gamat, and they are used to make "gamat water" and "gamat oil", which are tonics for treating wounds, gastric ulcers, and pain. One species fished as gamat is S. horrens. [5] This species is also harvested for food in Samoa. The parts considered edible are the viscera, especially the intestine. A fisher will take the cucumber from the water and place it in a bucket for a few hours to let it pass any sand from its gut. The fisher will then cut out its intestine and sometimes its respiratory system and gonads, as well, and release the still-living animal. The viscera are eaten raw and fresh, or bottled and sold in the community. Apparently, most cucumbers survive this treatment, at least in the short term. [6]
There was a small fishery for S. herrmanni, but it crashed due to overfishing. [5]
The following species are recognised in the genus Stichopus: [2]
Holothuria is the type genus of the marine animal family Holothuriidae, part of the class Holothuroidea, commonly known as sea cucumbers. Members of the genus are found in coastal waters in tropical and temperate regions. They are soft bodied, limbless invertebrates that dwell on the ocean floor and are usually detritivore. They resemble a cucumber in form. The genus contains some species that are harvested and sold as food.
The word Gamat, the Malay word for sea cucumber, refers to medicinal remedies derived from several species of the Holothuroidea family.
The Stichopodidae are a family of sea cucumbers, part of the order Synallactida.
Actinopyga is a genus of sea cucumbers found in coastal waters in tropical and temperate regions.
Stichopus chloronotus is a species of sea cucumber. Common names include the greenfish sea cucumber, the spiky sea cucumber and the black knobby sea cucumber. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It has a wide range and is abundant and the IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".
Synaptula is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae.
Bohadschia is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Holothuriidae.
Stichopus horrens is a variable, grey to green/black sea cucumber from the Indo-Pacific. It is often variegated with dark patches. It is a medium-sized species with a smooth tegument but large and irregular papillae. The big tubercles and irregular body form give an "irregular, soft and almost repulsive" appearance. Spicules are tables and large "C" bodies. S. horrens many be found on reefs, below rocks on flats.
Ocnus is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Cucumariidae.
Labidodemas is a genus of marine sea cucumbers in the family Holothuriidae. The genus was erected by Emil Selenka in 1867.
Psolus is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psolidae, marine animals with long bodies, leathery skins and tentacles, that inhabit the sea bed.
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.
Stichopus vastus is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae. It is found on the seabed in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Stichopus ocellatus is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae. It is found on the seabed in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific region.
Stichopus noctivagus is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae. It is found on the seabed in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific region.
Trachythyone is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Cucumariidae.
Thyone is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Phyllophoridae.
Mesothuria is a genus of sea cucumbers belonging to the family Synallactidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Media related to Stichopus at Wikimedia Commons