WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Blue Sea Cucumber

Actinopyga caerulea

Also known as: Lollyfish, Rough Sea Cucumber, Tripang

Adult
@fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 1
01

Overview

Found singly, over coral patches, of coral reefs, and in deep water, on rubble and sandy slopes of outer reefs.

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.

02

How to identify

Body shape
teats
Behaviour
solitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly, over coral patches, of coral reefs, and in deep water, on rubble and sandy slopes of outer reefs.

04

Adult photos 1

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumEchinodermata
    3. classHolothuroidea
    4. orderHolothuriida
    5. familyHolothuriidae
    6. genusActinopyga
    7. speciesActinopyga caerulea Samyn, VandenSpiegel & Massin, 2006

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)