Dendrochirotida are an order of

sea cucumber Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class (biology), class Holothuroidea ( ). They are benthic marine animals found on the sea floor worldwide, and the number of known holothuroid species worldwide is about 1,786, with the greatest number be ...

s. Members of this order have branched tentacles and are

suspension feeder Filter feeders are aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a spec ...

s. Examples include '' Thyonella'' and '' Cucumaria''.

Characteristics

Holothurians in this order are characterised by ten to thirty much branched tentacles which are sometimes digitate. They also have ring structures composed of ten calcareous plates circling the pharynx. They have both retractor and introvert muscles which means they can retract the tentacles into the mouth when not feeding. The body wall is either firm with large ossicles or of a soft consistency with few ossicles. In some genera the animals attach themselves to hard surfaces but in others they burrow into soft sediments. Prey is captured by the sticky tentacles and transferred to the mouth. The larvae are lecithotrophic, not feeding on

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

but surviving only on materials already present in the eggs until they settle and become juveniles.Marine Species Identification Portal
/ref>

Taxonomy

Order: Dendrochirotida * family

Cucumariidae Cucumariidae is a family of sea cucumbers, marine animals with elongated bodies, leathery skins and tentacles that are found on the sea bed. Description Members of the family Cucumariidae are small to medium-sized sea cucumbers, characterised by ...

Ludwig, 1894 * family Cucumellidae Thandar & Arumugam, 2011 * family Heterothyonidae Pawson, 1970 * family † Monilipsolidae Smith & Gallemí, 1991 * family Paracucumidae Pawson & Fell, 1965 * family

Phyllophoridae Phyllophoridae is a Family (biology), family of Holothuroidea, sea cucumbers, marine invertebrates with elongated bodies, leathery skins and feeding tentacles. Members of the family are characterised by a complex ring of calcareous ossicles arr ...

Östergren, 1907 * family Placothuriidae Pawson & Fell, 1965 * family Psolidae Burmeister, 1837 * family Rhopalodinidae Théel, 1886 * family

Sclerodactylidae Sclerodactylidae is a family of sea cucumbers, marine invertebrates with elongated bodies, leathery skins and tentacles. Members of the family are characterised by the complex ring of ossicles The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are ...

Panning, 1949 * family Vaneyellidae Pawson & Fell, 1965 * family Ypsilothuriidae Heding, 1942 Image:Cucumaria big.jpg, ''

Cucumaria miniata ''Cucumaria miniata'' is a species of sea cucumber. It is commonly known as the orange sea cucumber or red sea cucumber due to its striking color. This northeast Pacific species is often found wedged in between rocks or crevices at the coast or ...

'', a

Image:Golden sea cucumber at Castle Rocks P7260867.JPG, '' Thyone aurea'', a

Image:Psolus fabricii.jpg, ''

Psolus fabricii ''Psolus'' is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Psolidae, marine animals with long bodies, leathery skins and tentacles, that inhabit the sea bed. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Psolus'': *'' Psolus agulhasicu ...

'', a Psolidae Image:Eupentacta quinquesemita, Explored. Stiff-footed Sea Cucumber.jpg, '' Eupentacta quinquesemita'', a

Image:Colochirus robustus1.jpg, '' Colochirus robustus'' Image:Mauve and red-chested sea cucumbers at Partridge Point P7190598.JPG, '' Pseudocnella insolens'' (red) and '' Pentacta doliolum'' (dark) Image:Paracucumaria tricolor 2.jpg, '' Pseudocolochirus violaceus'' Image:Ocnus planci (Brandt, 1835) .jpg, '' Cucumaria planci''

References

Echinoderm orders {{Holothuroidea-stub