WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

White-rumped Sea Cucumber

Actinopyga lecanora

Also known as: Blotchy Sea Cucumber, Stonefish Sea Cucumber, Tripang, White-bottomed Sea Cucumber, White Patch Sea Cucumber

Adult
@fishx6 · Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives · May 20081 / 2
01

Overview

Found singly, during the day in sandy areas, under large coral and rubble, over reef slopes, of shallow, sheltered, coastal reefs. Dark colour, sometimes mottled appearance with a white/greyish rump.
They feed nocturnally on dead and live corals.

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.

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How to identify

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Habitat & where to find it

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

Found singly, during the day in sandy areas, under large coral and rubble, over reef slopes, of shallow, sheltered, coastal reefs.

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Adult photos 2

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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. genusActinopyga
    7. speciesActinopyga lecanora (Jaeger, 1833)

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Cucumbers (Holothuriidae)