Pineapple Sea Cucumber (Thelenota ananas)

Also known as Armoured Sea Cucumber, Giant Sea Cucumber, Pickles, Pineapple Cucumber, Pointed Teat Sea Cucumber, Prickly Cucumber, Prickly Redfish, Prickly Redfish Sea Cucumber, Prickly Skin Sea Cucumber, Sandfish, Spiny Sea Cucumber, Tripang

Description

Also known as Armoured Sea Cucumber, Giant Sea Cucumber, Pickles, Pineapple Cucumber, Pointed Teat Sea Cucumber, Prickly Cucumber, Prickly Redfish, Prickly Redfish Sea Cucumber, Prickly Skin Sea Cucumber, Sandfish, Spiny Sea Cucumber, Tripang.

Found singly or in groups, on exposed rubble and sandy bottoms, around coral patches, over reef slopes, and lagoons, rich in algae growth.
They feed exclusively on the green algae Halimeda sp.
Length - 75cm
Depth - 0-30m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

Distinctive appearance with large pointed teats in groups of two or three all over the body surface and numerous large tube feet on the flat underside.

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/Thelenota_ananas

1 comment

  1. I am not if the name of this species is 'sand fish'. In Asia, sand fish is the name for a very different type of sea cucumber. In Indonesia, it is also called as Nanas.

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