Holothuria mexicana
A sediment-feeding sea cucumber used as a bioindicator for metal pollution.
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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.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderHolothuriida
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- GenusHolothuria
- SpeciesHolothuria mexicana
Named by (Ludwig Diels, 1875)
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 fuscogilva Holothuria fuscogilva
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Holothuria mexicana (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 732363 (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
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.5 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Holothuria mexicana
Where the holothuria mexicana has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (4,333 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 12 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
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)
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.
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.
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.
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 mexicana (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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