Yellow Sea Cucumber
Colochirus robustus
Also known as: Curryfish, Lollyfish, Pricklyfish, Robust Sea Cucumber, Tripang, Yellow Cucumber
- Curryfish
- Lollyfish
- Pricklyfish
- Robust Sea Cucumber
- Tripang
- Yellow Cucumber
Overview
Found singly or in pickles, clinging to the substrate with their tubed feet and spreading their tentacles, to catch passing food, over coral and rocky reefs.
Distinctive appearance with large pointed teats in groups of two or three all over the body surface and numerous large tube feet on the flat underside.
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.
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Western Central Pacific
- Country only · 1
Found singly or in pickles, clinging to the substrate with their tubed feet and spreading their tentacles, to catch passing food, over coral and rocky reefs.
Adult photos 1
Discussion
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Deep dive
More in the family
Dendrochirotida


