Description

Also known as Lollyfish, Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber, Thomas Sea Cucumber, Tiger's Tail, Trepang.

Found singly or in pickles, with their posterior firmly attached in a recess, over rubble and sandy areas, of coral reefs. This is the largest sea cucumber in the Western Atlantic
They feed on algae and detritus.
Length - 200cm
Depth - 3-30m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean

Some sea cucumbers crawl around on the bottom slowly filtering sand through their tentacles to gather food, while others spread their tentacles above them to capture plankton. A number of sea cucumbers feed nocturnally while others feed by day.
There are sea cucumbers that hardly move while others are more active often perching on tall sponges to feed.
Sea cucumbers often attract hitch-hikers like shrimps and crabs that crawl over their skin, also pearlfish that enter via their anus.
As a means of defence sea cucumbers can expel their intestines or respiratory organs in the form of sticky threads, but these can quickly regenerate.
Juveniles often mimic sea slugs.
Some types of sea cucumbers are edible and considered a delicacy in the Far East countries. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holothuria_thomasi