Holothuria cinerascens
Ashy sea cucumber: a nutritious, pharmaceutically valuable broadcast spawner.
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Holothuria cinerascens, commonly known as the ashy sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is widely distributed in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, found from the Red Sea to Madagascar and from Japan to Australia. First described by Brandt in 1835, this species is notable for its nutritional and pharmaceutical value, as well as its cultural significance in Hawaiʻi, where it is known as 'Loli pua'.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderHolothuriida
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- GenusHolothuria
- SpeciesHolothuria cinerascens
Named by Brandt, 1835
Close relatives
Other species of Holothuria with a Codexery entry.
- Holothuria atra Holothuria atra
- Holothuria cubana Holothuria cubana
- Holothuria difficilis Holothuria difficilis
- Holothuria edulis Holothuria edulis
- Holothuria floridana Holothuria floridana
- Holothuria forskali Holothuria forskali
- Holothuria fuscogilva Holothuria fuscogilva
- Holothuria fuscopunctata Holothuria fuscopunctata
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Holothuria cinerascens (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 1672777 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
Where the holothuria cinerascens has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (636 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 23 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Quick Facts
- Species
- cinerascens
Facts from the source article.
Background
The ashy sea cucumber appears as a black tube with grey or red specs, giving it an overall appearance like ashes. It varies in size from ten to thirty centimeters and lives for about five to fifteen years. It uses its tentacles to catch floating particles from the water column, such as plankton, algae, tiny aquatic organisms, and organic detritus. Holothuria cinerascens is gonochoric and a broadcast spawner.
This species can be found around coral reefs and rocks, in tide pools, deeper waters, lagoons, and bays, often hiding in very tight spaces. Its movement and migration patterns depend on depth, light intensity, temperature conditions, and the amount of predators in the area.
In Hawaiʻi, ashy sea cucumbers are very common on shorelines and are known as 'Loli pua'. During traditional Hawaiian life, they were eaten and used as medicine.
More in Sea Cucumbers
Elsewhere in Sea Cucumbers and Brittle Stars
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Holothuria cinerascens (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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