WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber

Holothuria thomasi

Also known as: Lollyfish, Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber, Thomas Sea Cucumber, Tiger's Tail, Trepang

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2013
Adult
@fishx6 · Bonaire - Bachelors Beach, Caribbean Netherlands · November 20101 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly or in pickles, with their posterior firmly attached in a recess, over rubble and sandy areas, of coral reefs. This is the largest sea cucumber in the Western Atlantic

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
stripes

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 4
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pickles, with their posterior firmly attached in a recess, over rubble and sandy areas, of coral reefs.

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Adult photos 4

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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. genusHolothuria
    7. speciesHolothuria thomasi Pawson & Caycedo, 1980

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)