WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Brown Sandfish Sea Cucumber

Bohadschia vitiensis

Also known as: Black-spotted Sea Cucumber, Brown Sandfish, Brown Sea Cucumber, Chalkfish, Chalkfish Sea Cucumber, Lollyfish, Tripang, Yellow Sea Cucumber

Adult
@blogie · Limao Reef, Samal Island, Philippines, Philippines · November 20111 / 1
01

Overview

Found singly, sometimes partially buried in rubble, sand, and seagrass areas, over reef flats, shallow lagoons, coral and rocky 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

COLOURS
Pattern
black spot

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

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

Found singly, sometimes partially buried in rubble, sand, and seagrass areas, over reef flats, shallow lagoons, coral and rocky 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. genusBohadschia
    7. speciesBohadschia vitiensis (Semper, 1868)

    SourcesWoRMS

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)