Holothuria floridana
A sea cucumber found in warm Caribbean and Gulf waters.
Last updated
The Florida sea cucumber (Holothuria floridana) is a marine invertebrate belonging to the family Holothuriidae. It lives on the seabed just below the low tide mark, inhabiting sandy areas and seagrass beds in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.
This species reaches a maximum length of about 8 inches (20 cm). Its body is elongated and cylindrical, covered in tough, leathery skin dotted with blunt, conical bumps. The underside features several rows of short tube feet, while one end holds a mouth ringed with feeding tentacles. Its coloration is a mottled mix of brown, fawn, and white.
Found at depths up to 5 metres (16 ft), it moves across the sandy bottom, sifting through sand with its tentacles to feed on detritus and other organic particles. Reproduction occurs through gametogenesis, a process that produces gametes, and takes place during spring and summer. Temperature directly controls this cycle: research shows that gonad maturity and maximum reproductive output happen when water reaches 28 degrees Celsius.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderHolothuriida
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- GenusHolothuria
- SpeciesHolothuria floridana
Named by Pourtalés, 1851
Close relatives
Other species of Holothuria with a Codexery entry.
- Holothuria atra Holothuria atra
- Holothuria cinerascens Holothuria cinerascens
- Holothuria cubana Holothuria cubana
- Holothuria difficilis Holothuria difficilis
- Holothuria edulis Holothuria edulis
- Holothuria forskali Holothuria forskali
- Holothuria fuscogilva Holothuria fuscogilva
- Holothuria fuscopunctata Holothuria fuscopunctata
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Holothuria floridana (CC BY-SA 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 floridana has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (322 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 12 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Species
- floridana
Facts from the source article.
Background
Holothuria floridana can grow to a length of up to 8 inches (20 cm). It has an elongated cylindrical shape with a tough, leathery skin bearing blunt conical protuberances. On its underside are several rows of short tube feet, and one end features a mouth surrounded by a ring of feeding tentacles. The body colour is mottled brown, fawn and white.
It is found at depths of up to 5 metres (16 ft) on sand and on seagrass beds in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the coasts of Florida. It moves across the sandy seabed sifting through the sand with its tentacles and feeding on detritus and other organic particles.
Holothuria floridana undergoes gametogenesis, a biological process to produce gametes for reproduction, during the spring and summer seasons. Reproduction is driven by temperature levels. Scientists discovered that its gonads maturity is dependent on temperature, with optimal maturity and maximum reproduction output at 28 degrees Celsius water (Ramos-Miranda et al., 2017).
More in Sea Cucumbers
Elsewhere in Sea Cucumbers and Brittle Stars
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 floridana (CC BY-SA 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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