WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Marmorate Sea Cucumber

Bohadschia marmorata

Also known as: Amberfish, Brown Sandfish, Brown Stickyfish, Brown-spotted Sandfish, Chalk Sea Cucumber, Chalkfish, Chalky Cucumber, Chalkyfish, Pickles, Marbled Sea Cucumber, Tripang

Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh, Indonesia · August 20081 / 6
01

Overview

Found singly, often partially buried in coarse coral sand, over intertidal reef flats and seagrass beds. These nocturnal sea cucumbers, will emerge during the day from their burrowing on cloudy days!
They feed nocturnally on detritus and 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

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 6
LIVES IN

Found singly, often partially buried in coarse coral sand, over intertidal reef flats and seagrass beds.

04

Adult photos 6

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumEchinodermata
    3. classHolothuroidea
    4. orderHolothuriida
    5. familyHolothuriidae
    6. genusBohadschia
    7. speciesBohadschia marmorata Jaeger, 1833

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)