Summary ²

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea. They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothurian /ˌhɒlɵˈθjʊəriən/ species worldwide is about 1,250 with the greatest number being in the Asia Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred...

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2606952552_e2d48fb630_b.jpg
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holothuroidea

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NIWA (2014) guide to New Zealand echinoderms
• World Register of Marine Species

iNat Map