Stichopus herrmanni

Stichopus herrmanni

Herrmann's sea cucumber

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SPECIES
Stichopus herrmanni

Stichopus herrmanni, or Herrmann's sea cucumber, is a species of holothuroidean echinoderm in the family Stichopodidae. It is found in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific Ocean, at depths down to 20 m (66 ft). This and several other species are known as curryfish and are harvested commercially; it is called gama in Indonesia.

Appearance

Stichopus herrmanni is a large species of sea cucumber, growing up to 50 cm (20 in) long. The body is cylindrical with a flat sole. The body wall is rough and wrinkled, without large swellings but with orange-brown papillae (conical fleshy protuberances). The mouth is surrounded by eight to sixteen feeding tentacles and the sole bears short tube feet. The colour is variable, in some locations being greyish-brown, greenish-brown, or sandy-brown, while in others being mustard-yellow, orange-brown or green and brown.

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Population

Population number

Although the population of S. herrmanni is stable in Australia, elsewhere fishing pressure is causing declines in its populations over most of its range. As a result of overfishing of more desirable species, this species is likely to face greater exploitation, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "vulnerable".

References

1. Stichopus herrmanni Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stichopus_herrmanni
2. Stichopus herrmanni on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/180238/1604460

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