Tubular sea cucumber (Holothuria tubulosa)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Holothuria tubulosa
- Common name
- Tubular sea cucumber
- Category
- Echinoderms
- Family
- Holothuriidae
- Genus
- Holothuria
- Size
- 20–35 cm
- Depth
- 1–100 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- sand, seagrass, rocky
- Behaviours
- solitary, slow
- Ocean zones
- East Atlantic, Mediterranean
Description
Holothuria tubulosa reaches 35 cm. Cylindrical brown-purple to black body covered with large conical papillae, mouth surrounded by a crown of branched tentacles. Detritivore: swallows sand and extracts organic matter, recycling several kg per year. Major ecological role in Mediterranean sediment turnover. Defends by evisceration: expels its viscera which later regrow. Very common from 1 to 100 m.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Tubular sea cucumber?
- Tubular sea cucumber (Holothuria tubulosa) reaches 20–35 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Tubular sea cucumber?
- Tubular sea cucumber is found between 1–100 m deep.
- Is the Tubular sea cucumber dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Tubular sea cucumber?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Tubular sea cucumber?
- Found in: East Atlantic, Mediterranean.
Other species in the genus Holothuria
- Holothuria forskali - Cotton-spinner
- Holothuria atra - Black sea cucumber
- Holothuria edulis - Pink sea cucumber
- Holothuria fuscogilva - White teatfish
- Holothuria sanctori - Brown sea cucumber
- Holothuria poli - Poli's sea cucumber
Other species in the family Holothuriidae
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 732401)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2279156)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia