California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
The California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus), also known as the giant California sea cucumber, is a sea cucumber that can be found from the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California. It is found from the low intertidal zone to a depth of 250 m. They are most abundant in areas with moderate current with cobbles, boulders or bedrock. They are artisanally fished.
- Scientific name
- Apostichopus californicus
- Authority
- (Stimpson, 1857)
- Family
- Stichopodidae
- Order
- Synallactida
- Maximum length
- 7.5 cm
- Depth range
- 0–90 m
- Habitat zone
- benthic
- Iucn red list
- Vulnerable
- Gbif occurrence records
- 253,562
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Echinodermata · Class: Holothuroidea · Order: Synallactida · Family: Stichopodidae · Genus: Apostichopus.
Accepted name: Apostichopus californicus · Authority: (Stimpson, 1857) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 529363.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Holothuria californica Stimpson, 1857; Parastichopus californicus (Stimpson, 1857); Stichopus californicus (Stimpson, 1857).
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=529363 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Apostichopus californicus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 7.5 cm · Depth range: 0–90 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100.
SeaLifeBase notes: It is found on rocky and sandy bottoms from the low intertidal to a depth of 90 meters (Ref. 865).
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 49458) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Apostichopus-californicus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
253,562 georeferenced occurrence records for Apostichopus californicus are published through GBIF from 4 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 61 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 45 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: United States of America (249,404); Canada (4,144); Mexico (8); Australia (5).
The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5967442) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5967442&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=529363 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Apostichopus californicus (Stimpson, 1857) as Vulnerable (code VU). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 180436) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/180436/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5967442) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5967442/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
The California sea cucumber can grow to a length of 50 cm and a width of 5 cm. It has a soft, cylindrical body, with red-brown to yellowish leathery skin. It has an endoskeleton just below the skin. The mouth and anus are on opposite ends of the body. The mouth is surrounded by twenty retractable tentacles that are used to bring food in. Five rows of tube feet extend from the mouth to the anus. They use their tube feet located on the underside of their body to attach themselves to rocks.
The California sea cucumber is a scavenger that feeds on organic matter. They feed by sifting through sediments with their tentacles, or by positioning themselves in a current where they can use their tentacles to catch food flowing by. They can live to be 10 years old.
A. californicus is a solitary nocturnal animal. When threatened, it can eviscerate, expelling its organs through its anus. It can also expel sticky filaments to ensnare or confuse predators.
These sea cucumbers have separate sexes, and eggs are fertilized externally. Spawning usually takes place in August, and each female can produce thousands of eggs. After fertilization, a larva is formed which metamorphoses into a sea cucumber after a few weeks.
Source: Wikipedia: California sea cucumber — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_sea_cucumber (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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