Holothuria mexicana
A sediment-feeding sea cucumber used as a bioindicator for metal pollution.
Holothuria mexicana, commonly known as the donkey dung sea cucumber, is a commercially important aspidochirote (sediment feeding) sea cucumber found in the Caribbean and the Azores. It is notable for its role as a biological indicator for metal pollution and for being harvested for human consumption, particularly in Panama, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Holothuria
- Species
- mexicana
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Holothuria mexicana is transversely wrinkled and reaches 50 cm (20 in) in total length. Its top surface is dull brown or grey with occasional warts, while the bottom surface is reddish, orange or pale and uniformly covered in tube feet. Populations are unimodal with a 1:1 male to female sex ratio. This species is found throughout the Caribbean and reaches southern Brazil, inhabiting shallow or demersal waters most commonly between 2 and 10 m depth, up to 20 m. It lives on sandy bottoms with calm waters, including seagrass beds, offshore reefs, or mangroves. It feeds on sediments, consuming organic matter such as algae, tiny aquatic organisms, and waste materials. Metals like copper, nickel, lead, and zinc can bioaccumulate in its tissues, leading to its suggestion as a biological indicator for these metals.
Reader's Guide
Holothuria mexicana is significant as a food source for people, actively caught for consumption off the shores of Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela. In Panama, the species has low economic value due to its tough and rigid texture but is fished because of the decline of other commercial sea cucumbers. In 1997, 25 fishers took part in a 30-day fishing period where over 750,000 sea cucumbers of three species (including H. mexicana) were caught; sea cucumber fishing is now banned in Panama, though illegal fishing has been reported. In Venezuela, the fishery began in 1991–1992 but was shut down by 1995 due to poor regulation; illegal fishing continued, with 500 kg of H. mexicana worth US$150,000 confiscated in 1996. In 2005, China reported importing 0.5 tonnes of sea cucumber from Venezuela. The species has small population sizes and was at high risk of collapse if fishing had continued. Natural parasites include bacteria, protozoans, and metazoans such as turbellarians, gastropods, copepods, crabs, and fishes. Spawning occurs throughout the year with peak periods varying by geography, possibly linked to temperature; females expel all eggs in a single burst, and both sexes may wave tentacles to aid fertilization. Eggs develop into non-feeding auricular larvae in about 64 hours.
Did You Know?
- Holothuria mexicana can reach a total length of 50 cm (20 in).
- It has been suggested as a biological indicator for copper, nickel, lead, and zinc pollution.
- Females expel all their eggs in a single burst during spawning.
- In 1996, 500 kg of H. mexicana worth US$150,000 was confiscated in Venezuela's Archipelago Los Roques National Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Holothuria mexicana?
It is a sediment-feeding sea cucumber belonging to the aspidochirote group, commonly nicknamed the donkey dung sea cucumber. Native to Caribbean waters and the Azores, it spends its life grazing organic detritus from sandy seabeds.
Where and how deep can I find Holothuria mexicana?
You will most often encounter it between 2 and 10 meters (roughly 7 to 33 feet), though individuals have been recorded as deep as 20 meters. Its geographic range covers the Caribbean Sea and the Azores archipelago.
How big does Holothuria mexicana get, and when does it mature?
Adults can reach a total length of about 50 cm (20 inches). They typically don't become reproductively mature until they are between 13 and 20 cm long and weigh roughly 150 grams with the gut removed.
When does Holothuria mexicana spawn?
Peak spawning windows shift by region: May through July in Panama, August to September off Florida, and September to October in Curaçao. The mature population maintains an approximately one-to-one male-to-female ratio.
Why is Holothuria mexicana considered important?
It is commercially harvested for human consumption in Panama, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, but it also plays a key scientific role as a bioindicator of heavy-metal contamination in marine sediments. Because it accumulates metals in measurable concentrations, researchers use its tissue to gauge local water quality.
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