Lissothuria nutriens
A small, bright red-orange sea cucumber of California tide pools.
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The dwarf sea cucumber, also called the scarlet sea cucumber, is a vivid red-orange species that lives in tide pools along much of California’s coast. Its upper side is bright red-orange with small white tube feet scattered evenly across it, while the pinkish underside has rows of white tube feet. It reaches about 2 cm in length. Around its mouth are two small and eight larger pinkish-red, branching tentacles, and the flesh near the mouth contains a few plates.
This sea cucumber ranges from Monterey Bay down to Southern California, and has been spotted as far north as Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands. It clings to or moves across rocky surfaces, or lives in sandy areas between algae holdfasts, from the low intertidal zone down to 20 meters deep. Observations on iNaturalist also show it on various kinds of algae.
To feed, it extends sticky, branching tentacles to catch plankton, then moves the captured prey down the tentacle branches toward the base and into its mouth. It also absorbs extra nutrients from mud. For reproduction, it broods a small number of large eggs by moving them into pits on its upper surface. As a member of the order Dendrochirotida, the eggs contain enough energy for the larvae to develop fully without needing to eat.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderDendrochirotida
- FamilyPsolidae
- GenusLissothuria
- SpeciesLissothuria nutriens
Named by Brandt, 1835
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Lissothuria nutriens (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 529527 (CC BY 4.0)
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.02 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Lissothuria nutriens
Where the lissothuria nutriens has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,146 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 20 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Background
Lissothuria nutriens has a bright red-orange dorsal surface with small white tube feet evenly spread about, while its lower surface or foot is pinkish with rows of white tube feet. It grows to about 2 cm. Surrounding its mouth are 2 small and 8 large pinkish red dendritic tentacles, and the flesh around its mouth contains a few plates.
The species extends its sticky, dendritic tentacles to catch plankton, then moves the captured prey down the branches toward its base and into its mouth; it also absorbs additional nutrients extracted from mud. In reproduction, Lissothuria nutriens broods a small number of large eggs by moving them to pits on its dorsal surface. As a member of the order Dendrochirotida, the eggs have sufficient energy to enable the larvae to complete development without needing to be fed.
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: Lissothuria nutriens (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).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
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