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Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (/ ˌ h ɒ l ə ˌ θj ʊəˈr ɔɪ d i ə, ˌ h oʊ l ə-/ HOL-ə-thyuu-ROY-dee-ə, HOH-lə-). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad .
Holothuria is the type genus of the marine animal family Holothuriidae, [1] 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 which dwell on the ocean floor and are usually detritivores.
This is the second largest family of sea cucumbers with over 200 recognized species. [3] Accepted genera are: [1] Actinopyga Bronn, 1860 – 18 species; Bohadschia Jaeger, 1833 – 12 species; Holothuria Linnaeus, 1767 – 163 species; Labidodemas Selenka, 1867 – 8 species; Pearsonothuria Levin in Levin, Kalinin & Stonik, 1984 – 1 species
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.
Holothuria atra is a sea cucumber that can grow to a length of 60 centimetres (24 in) but 20 centimetres (7.9 in) is a more common size. It has a smooth, pliable, entirely black skin which often has sand adhering to it, especially in smaller individuals.
Holothuria (Microthele) whitmaei, commonly known as the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. The sea cucumber is distributed in the western Indian and Pacific oceans, with specimens being found off of Tanzania, [2] New Caledonia and the Philippines. [3] They are usually found in groups of 5-25 individuals. [4]
This list of prehistoric sea cucumbers is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera from the fossil record that have ever been considered to be holothuroidea, excluding purely vernacular terms.
The orange-footed sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) is the largest sea cucumber in New England, United States. [2] It is one of the most abundant and widespread species of holothurians within the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea (Russia), [3] being most abundant along the eastern coast of North America.