Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Holothuroidea | Holothuriida | Holothuriidae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Reef-associated; depth range 6 - 13 m (Ref. 107862). Tropical; 33°N - 33°S, 28°E - 77°W (Ref. 107060)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Indo-Pacific.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 22.0 range ? - ? cm Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75656); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 122); max. published weight: 2.0 kg (Ref. 75656)

Short description Morphology

Mean live weight 300 to 800 g; body-wall thickness 0.3 cm. Body very elongate, narrower anteriorly than posteriorly. Tegument very smooth. Podia and papillae randomly distributed on bivium, the podia ending in a disc of around 480 micrometer diameter; podia on bivium numerous, short and stout, distributed on the radii and interradii, their calcareous disc and around 700 micrometer in diameter. Mouth ventral, surrounded by 20 black tentacles. Anus sub dorsal. Calcareous ring with large radial pieces and triangular interradials. Cuvierian tubules very thin and long. Entirely black. Spicules on dorsal and ventral tegument with tables and buttons; tables with circular large disc, having 8 holes or more, spire with 4 pillars, and ending in a crown with large central hole; buttons regular, with 6 or 8 holes, or irregular; plates large in ventral podia, with many holes; dorsal podia also with long rods; tentacles containing few rods.

Not traditionally harvested, due to the thin tegument and presence of Cuvierian tubules, but may be confused with other commercial black species of Holothuria.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Inshore, shallow-water populations are composed of smaller individuals and reproduce mostly by transversal fission. Deeper or outer reef populations are composed of larger individuals reproducing sexually (Ref. 122). Members of the class Holothuroidea are gonochoric and have only one gonad. Spawning and fertilization are both external and some exhibit brooding. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (auricularia) then into doliolaria (barrel-shaped stage) which later metamorphose into juvenile sea cucumbers (Ref. 833).

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Conand, C. 1998. (Ref. 122)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 May 2010

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 25 - 29.3, mean 28.4 (based on 3439 cells).

Prior r = 1.20, 95% CL = 0.79 - 1.80, Based on 1 full stock assessment.

Vulnerability (Ref. 71543): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

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