WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Caterpillar Sea Cucumber

Actinopyga capillata

Also known as: Hairy Feet Sea Cucumber, Hairy Foot Sea Cucumber, Hairy Sea Cucumber

Adult
@blogie · Dayang Beach Dive Site, Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines · May 20121 / 2
01

Overview

Found singly, over shallow rubble and sandy drop-offs and reef slopes. This sea cucumber is different from others of this type, with its long thin hairy feet.
They feed nocturnally on plankton.

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
hairyspikes

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, over shallow rubble and sandy drop-offs and reef slopes.

04

Adult photos 2

05

Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • Kalia· 5 Jul 2014

    We found one in this type of rock pool thing and looks like one of these

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

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Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumEchinodermata
  3. classHolothuroidea
  4. orderHolothuriida
  5. familyHolothuriidae
  6. genusActinopyga
  7. speciesActinopyga capillata Rowe & Massin, 2006

SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

06

More in the family

Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)