Thelenota anax
A large, commercially harvested sea cucumber with medicinal uses.
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Thelenota anax is a species of sea cucumber mostly found in the tropical South Pacific Ocean. It is also commonly known as the amber fish, and by many other names including black teatfish, blackfish, brownfish, chief sea cucumber, curryfish, elephant trunk cucumber, lollyfish, tripang, and white-teat sea cucumber. It is notable for its large size, commercial value, and purported medicinal properties.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumEchinodermata
- ClassHolothuroidea
- OrderSynallactida
- FamilyStichopodidae
- GenusThelenota
- SpeciesThelenota anax
Named by Clark, 1921
Close relatives
Other species of Thelenota with a Codexery entry.
- Thelenota ananas Thelenota ananas
- Thelenota rubralineata Thelenota rubralineata
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Thelenota anax (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 210915 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Data Deficient (DD)
Data Deficient: there is not enough information to place this species on the risk scale.
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.69 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Thelenota anax
Where the thelenota anax has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,078 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 19 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
Thelenota anax is found on sandy ocean bottoms and reef slopes at depths greater than 25 m. Its body is creamy beige or light brown with dark brown or red spots, and it has light colored bumps on top. Large papillae are located laterally, and long white podia are on its ventral surface.
Its mouth is ventral with 18–20 peltate tentacles, and its anus is dorsal near the terminal end. The species often has ectocommensal relationships; scaleworms and gastropods commonly live on its outside without apparent negative effect. It is commonly fished commercially and exported because of its medicinal properties and large size.
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: Thelenota anax (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).
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