Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Echinodermata · Class: Holothuroidea · Order: Synallactida · Family: Stichopodidae · Genus: Stichopus.

Accepted name: Stichopus chloronotus · Authority: Brandt, 1835 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 149789.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Holothuria viridis Quoy & Gaimard in Cherbonnier, 1952; Stichopus (Perideris) chloronotos Brandt, 1835; Stichopus chloronotus fuscus Pearson, 1903; Stichopus cylindricus Haacke, 1880; Stichopus hirotai Mitsukuri, 1912.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=149789 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Stichopus chloronotus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 40 cm · Common length: 18 cm · Depth range: 0–15 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Vulnerability index: 36.1 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

SeaLifeBase notes: Probably harvested in some artisanal fisheries of the area. Collected by hand at low tide, or by divers. The processed product is of low commercial value. A reef species mostly found in shallow areas from near the surface to a depth of 15 m (Ref. 122).

Found on sandy areas (Ref. 115900) and generally occurs on reef flats and upper slopes. Populations reaching high densities on hard substrates, with a mean of around 0.04 per square meter. Shallow water populations are generally smaller in size than those found in deeper waters. Biology poorly known (Ref. 122).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 83494) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Stichopus-chloronotus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

4,797 georeferenced occurrence records for Stichopus chloronotus are published through GBIF from 52 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 233 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 13 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: New Caledonia (1,044); Australia (696); Cook Islands (491); Samoa (394); Wallis and Futuna (295).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 4343242) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4343242&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=149789 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, 1835 as Least Concern (code LC). 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 180477) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/180477/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 4343242) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/4343242/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It has a wide range and is abundant and the IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".

Description

Stichopus chloronotus is a fairly large species growing to about 25 cm with a firm but pliable body and a squarish cross section. The skin is smooth but there are numerous conical fleshy papillae in longitudinal rows, and these are larger on the lower lateral angles. This sea cucumber is a deep blackish-green in colour, and has yellow or red tips to the papillae.

Distribution and habitat

Stichopus chloronotus is native to the Indo-Pacific. Its range extends from the Red Sea and the East Coast of Africa, through Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comores and Réunion to Australia, Indonesia, China, Japan, Guam, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. It lives on reefs, but can also be found on rubble located on the outer reef flats at depths down to about 12 m.

Biology

Stichopus chloronotus is a detritivore and sifts through the sediment on the seabed with its tentacles and feeds on detritus and other organic matter including plant and animal remains, bacteria, protozoa, diatoms and faeces. In the process it swallows a lot of sand and plays an important part in churning up and aerating the seabed.

Stichopus chloronotus can reproduce asexually by undergoing transverse fission, forming two new individuals which each regenerate the missing parts. It can also reproduce sexually.

Status

Stichopus chloronotus is gathered for human consumption across much of its range. Although not one of the most important species for this purpose, it resembles the much-favoured Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and is increasingly being caught in some areas as supplies of that species dwindle. This species has a widespread distribution and is common in many parts of its range so the IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern". It is also known to occur in several protected areas, including the Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve in Lakshadweep, India.

Source: Wikipedia: Stichopus chloronotus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stichopus_chloronotus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.