Amber fish (Thelenota anax)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Thelenota anax · Authority: Clark, 1921 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 210915.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=210915 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

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

Maximum length: 100 cm · Common length: 55 cm · Depth range: 4–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Vulnerability index: 60 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

SeaLifeBase notes: Rarely harvested until a few years ago. Collected by skin diving or using diving gear (if not banned), making the populations presently very vulnerable, due to overexploitation. The processed product is probably of low to moderate commercial value and the exploitation of this species should be avoided. Minimum depth range from Ref. 125194. A rare species mostly found at depths between 10 to 30 m; generally occurs on hard ground, large rubbles and sand patches, on reef slopes, outer lagoon and near passes. Populations not reaching high densities, with a mean of around 0.001 per square meter. Biology poorly known (Ref. 122).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 83499) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Thelenota-anax.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,078 georeferenced occurrence records for Thelenota anax are published through GBIF from 43 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 237 distinct locations from a sample of 1,078 records, omitting 19 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: Australia (238); Indonesia (184); Marshall Islands (83); Palau (71); Philippines (70).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 4343234) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4343234&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=210915 (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 Thelenota anax H. L. Clark, 1921 as Data Deficient (code DD). 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 180324) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/180324/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 4343234) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/4343234/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The body of T. anax can be a creamy beige or light brown with dark brown or red spots. It usually has light colored bumps on the top of its body. T. anax also has large with papillae located laterally on its body. On its ventral surface there is long white podia. Its mouth is also located ventrally with 18–20 peltate tentacles. The anus is located on the dorsal side of the animal towards the terminal end. Their average length is about 69 cm long, but the longest recorded sea cucumber was 89 cm long. Some of the biggest sea cucumber can weigh up to 5 kg. It also has two gonads that are approximately 70–500mm long.

Thelenota anax prefers to live on soft, sandy portions of the ocean floor at depths greater than 25 m. Some can be found on the sides of reef slopes.

Some organism can often be found living on the outside of Thelenota anax. A few common species found on T.anax are scaleworms and gastropods. The sea cucumber does not appear to be negatively affected by these ectocommensal species.

Many species of sea cucumbers are sold for human consumption as "beche-de-mer". In the Solomon Islands, where Thelenota anax is commonly harvested, it has a commercial value of around $6.66 per kg. It is one of the less expensive species of sea cucumbers, but is one of the more commonly exported species because of its high body mass.

T. anax is commonly consumed in Asian and Middle Eastern countries for its purported medicinal benefits, although research into its effects are ongoing. T. anax produces many different bioactive compounds such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. These compounds are known to reduce the risk of coronary disease, some cancers, and have anti-inflammatory properties Specifically arachidonic acid promotes blood clotting and wound healing. This is why many Asian countries use T.anax to treat burns and cuts.

Studies have also shown that T. anax produces glycosides Stichopside C (STC) and Stichoposide D (STD). STC makes Ceramide, which is a tumor suppressor lipid. It also causes the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells and leukemia cells. STD causes the apoptosis of only leukemia cells and inhibits its growth.

Source: Wikipedia: Thelenota anax — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelenota_anax (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.