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Sea Cucumber

Echinoderms

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea, benthic marine animals found on the sea floor worldwide, with about 1,786 known species, the greatest number found in the Asia-Pacific region. They serve a useful role in the marine ecosystem as detritivores that help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter so that microbes can continue the decomposition process, and they have a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad, named for their overall resemblance to the fruit of the cucumber plant. Many species are foraged as food by humans and some are cultivated in aquaculture, considered a delicacy especially in Asian cuisines, where the harvested product is variously called trepang, namako or beche-de-mer.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Detritivore or Scavenger 1
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to People
Farmed or Commercially Raised 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Appendix II 4
CITES Appendix
Appendix III 4
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Soft, cylindrical body, rounded at the extremities 1
Scientific Name
Holothuroidea 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Echinodermata, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Holothuroidea

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Sea cucumber - Wikipedia

In Ecosystem

Coral Sea, Ecosystems
Source Sea cucumber - Wikipedia
Great Barrier Reef, Ecosystems
Source Sea cucumber - Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sweden

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Sea cucumber - Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea
  • Description
    Most sea cucumbers have a soft and cylindrical body, rounded off and occasionally fat in the extremities.
  • In Biome: Marine, Wikipedia intro: "rs are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea ( HOL-?-thyuu-ROY-dee-?, HOH-l?-). They are benthic marine animals found on the sea floor worldwide, and the num..."
  • In Ecosystem: Great Barrier Reef, Commercial harvest
    Overfishing of sea cucumbers in the Great Barrier Reef is threatening their population.
  • In Ecosystem: Coral Sea, Commercial harvest
    One of Australia's oldest fisheries is the collection of sea cucumber, harvested by divers from throughout the Coral Sea in far North Queensland, Torres Straits and Western Australia.
  • In Group: Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea), Lead
    Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea ( HOL-ə-thyuu-ROY-dee-ə, HOH-lə-).
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ127470, descriptionView the Source
4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Holothuroidea
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 41
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 41
"rank":"CLASS","name_status":"A","updated_at":"2022-04-19T16:34:27.378Z","active":true,"cites_listing":"II/III/NC"
View the Source
Wikidata: Holothuroidea
  • Wikidata Q127470, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Echinodermata, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
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