Holothuria fuscogilva
A commercially valuable sea cucumber vulnerable to overfishing in the Indo-Pacific.
Last updated
Holothuria fuscogilva, called the white teatfish or white teeth, belongs to the genus Holothuria and the subgenus Microthele. This sea cucumber lives in the tropical Indo-Pacific, in shallow waters near islands and coral reefs. Juveniles stay in shallower areas like intertidal zones, then move to deeper water as they grow. Spawning takes place during the Northeastern Monsoon, from October to December, and the species reaches sexual maturity relatively late.
Adults weigh between 2.4 and 4 kilograms, are oval and firm, and have lateral papillae, or teats, that are often buried in sand. The species is widely harvested for food and has high commercial value; collectors can gather them by hand using a diving suit or while skin diving, making them easy to overharvest. Overfishing has made the species vulnerable, and it was listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2026. A large population once existed in Sri Lanka, but decades of overfishing and mismanagement caused a major decline, leading Sri Lanka to ban harvesting in 2019.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderHolothuriida
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- GenusHolothuria
- SpeciesHolothuria fuscogilva
Named by Cherbonnier, 1980
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 floridana Holothuria floridana
- Holothuria forskali Holothuria forskali
- Holothuria fuscopunctata Holothuria fuscopunctata
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Holothuria fuscogilva (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 732234 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Endangered (EN)
- LC
- NT
- VU
- EN▲ this species
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
Where the holothuria fuscogilva has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (575 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 10 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
- fuscogilva
Facts from the source article.
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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 fuscogilva (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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