Sea Cucumber Family Profile

Phylum Echinodermata Class Holothuroidea

Order Aspidichirotida Family Holothuriidae Genus Actinopyga, Bohadschia, Holothuria, & Labidodemus

One of the largest groups, members of the family Holothuriidae are propabaly the most common sea cucumbers found for sale as reef janitors. They typically have thick, muscular bodies equipped with tube feet used for clinging to the substrate and moving about, and pointed fleshy projections (papillae) often cover the body. With some species falling into the #1 feeding category, most are #2 type feeders, which makes these good sand sifting sea cucumbers. Many cucumbers in this group may eject quantities of sticky filamentous threads (Cuvierian tubules) or expel their internal organs to defend themselves, and some can grow quite large.

• Ashy (Holothuria cinerascens; Brandt, 1835)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 6 inches.
  • Characteristics: Filter feeder that extends its 20 branched tentacles to catch drifiting food particles in the current.

• Black (Holothuria atra; Jaeger, 1833)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea to Hawaii.
  • Size: To 24 inches.
  • Characteristics: Does not expel sticky threads, but will eject its internal organs. Commensal crab and pearlfish host.

• Black-Spotted (Holothuria sp.)
• • Size: To about 12-15 inches.
  • Characteristics: Resembles the Indo-Pacific H. turriscelsa, but suggested it may be an undescribed cucumber endemic to Hawai'i, or a deep water form of the Stubborn Sea Cucumber (H. pervicax).

• Difficult (Holothuria dificillis; Semper, 1868)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 5 inches.
  • Characteristics: Nocturnal. Eject hard to remove sticky threads so fine they resemble a milky fluid.

• Donkey Dung (Holothuria mexicana)
• • Range: Tropical West Atlantic.
  • Size: To 20 inches.

• Five-Toothed (Actinopyga agassizii)
• • Range: Bahamas and part of the Caribbean.
  • Characteristics: Expels sticky, toxic threads.

• Golden (Holothuria parvula)
• • Range: Bermuda and the West Indies.
  • Characteristics: Expels sticky threads that may or may not be toxic.

• Impatient (Holothuria impatiens; Forsskal, 1775)
• • Range: Southern California, Hawai'i and other tropical waters.
  • Size: To 8 inches.
  • Characteristics: Expels fine sticky threads that may or may not be toxic.

• Leopard (Holothuria pardalis; Selenka, 1867)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific.
  • Size: To about 4 inches.
  • Characteristics: Does not expel sticky threads.

• Paradoxical (Bohadschia paradoxa; Selenka, 1867)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 20 inches.
  • Characteristics: Expels sticky threads, reported to cause a rash or mild sting on humans. Commensal crab and pearlfish host.

• Pink & Black/Edible (Holothuria edulis; Lesson, 1830)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea to Hawai'i.
  • Size: To 12 inches.
  • Characteristics: Have been reported to kill fish if injured or stressed.

• Plump (Actinopyga obesa; Selenka, 1867)
• • Range: Western and Central Pacific.
  • Size: To about 12 inches.
  • Characteristics: Does not expel sticky threads.

• Sand (Holothuria arenicola; Semper, 1868)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific and tropical Western Atlantic.
  • Size: To about 10 inches.
  • Characteristics: Does not expel sticky threads.

• Stubborn (Holothuria pervicax; Selenka, 1867)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 12 inches.
  • Characteristics: Expels thick blue-white sticky threads.

• Spotted (Bohadschia argus)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Characteristics: Expel sticky, highly toxic threads!

• Teated (Holothuria whitmaei; Bell, 1887)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To at least 12 inches.
  • Characteristics: Found from shallow depths to 70 feet and more on rocky substrate mixed with sand. Was known as H. nobilis, but changed in 1997.

• Tiger Tail (Holothuria hilla)
• • Range: Australia.

• Tiger-Tail/Light-Spotted (Holothuria hilla; Lesson, 1830)
• • Range: Hawaii, Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 12 inches.
  • Characteristics: Dwells under rocks during daylight hours, and at night may partly extend its front end from under its rock to sweep for food.

• Tiger Tail/Thomas' (Holothuria thomasi)
• • Range: Tropical West Atlantic.
  • Size: To 6 1/2 feet, when stretched out.

• White (Labidodemus semperianum; Selenka, 1867)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To about 5 inches.

• White-Spotted/Speckled (Actinopyga mauritiana; Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
• • Range: Indo-Pacific.
  • Size: To 8 inches.
  • Characteristics: Does not expel internal organs or sticky threads.