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.
Apodida is an order of littoral to deep-sea, largely infaunal holothurians. This order comprises three families, 32 genera and about 270 known species, called apodids.
Cucumaria is a genus of sea cucumbers.
Synaptula is a genus of sea cucumbers, containing the following species:
Synaptula lamperti is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata, found on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The echinoderms are marine invertebrates and include the sea urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers. They are 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. They live on the sea bottom.
Cucumariidae is a family of sea cucumbers, marine animals with elongated bodies, leathery skins and tentacles that are found on the sea bed.
Colochirus is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Cucumariidae.
Phyllophoridae is a family of sea cucumbers, marine invertebrates with elongated bodies, leathery skins and feeding tentacles.
Synapta maculata, the snake sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae. It is found in shallow waters in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. Sometimes growing as long as 3 m (10 ft), it is one of the longest sea cucumbers in the world.
S. maculata may refer to:
Chiridotidae is a family of sea cucumbers.
Myriotrochus is a genus of sea cucumbers. The following species are recognised in the genus Myriotrochus:
Chiridota is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Chiridotidae. It is an extant genus but some fossil species are known.
Euapta is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Synaptidae.
Opheodesoma is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Synaptidae.
Polyplectana is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Synaptidae. The type species is Polyplectana kefersteinii.
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.
Synaptula recta, sometimes known as the gut-like sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata. It occurs in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific region.
Thyone is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Phyllophoridae.
