Holothuria fuscogilva
| Holothuria fuscogilva | |
|---|---|
| |
| H. fuscogilva in the Red Sea | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Holothuriida |
| Family: | Holothuriidae |
| Genus: | Holothuria |
| Species: | H. fuscogilva
|
| Binomial name | |
| Holothuria fuscogilva Cherbonnier, 1980
| |
Holothuria (Microthele) fuscogilva, also known as the white teatfish or white teeth, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Microthele.[3] The cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean. The species is vulnerable to over-exploitation from commercial fishing. It was first formally named by Gustave Cherbonnier in 1980.[4]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Holothuria fuscogilva are found in the Indo-Pacific ocean in shallow waters near islands and around coral reefs. Juvenile cucumbers live in shallower waters (such as inter-tidal zones) and then migrate to deeper waters as they mature.[4] Spawning occurs during the Northeastern Monsoon season (October to December), and the species reaches sexual maturity relatively late.[4]
Description
[edit]Adult cucumbers weigh between 2.4 and 4 kilograms (5.3 and 8.8 lb).[4] They are oval in shape and have a firm texture. This species cucumber has lateral papillae (teats) which are often buried in the sand.[4]
Use
[edit]Holothuria fuscogilva is consumed as a food and is of large commercial value across its range. The cucumber can be collected by hand using a diving suit or while skin diving, allowing for it to be easily harvested.
Vulnerability and conservation
[edit]Due to overfishing, the cucumber was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2010.[1]
A large population of the cucumber formerly existed in Sri Lanka, but decades of overfishing and mismanagement caused a large decline in the species' numbers. Sri Lanka banned the harvesting of the species in 2019.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Conand, C., Purcell, S. & Gamboa, R. 2013. Holothuria fuscogilva. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T200715A2681354. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T200715A2681354.en. Downloaded on 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Holothuria (Microthele) fuscogilva Cherbonnier, 1980". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Holothuria fuscogilva, white teeth : fisheries". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Sri Lanka pushes for protection of sea cucumbers amid overexploitation". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
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