''Holothuria (Cystipus) cubana'' is a species 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 ...

in the family

Holothuriidae Holothuriidae is a Family (biology), family of sea cucumbers, a type of echinoderm. Description Members of the family Holothuriidae have thick fleshy bodies and several rows of tube feet which are used for moving around and for adhering to the s ...

. This species was first described by Ludwig in 1875.

Description

''Holothuria cubana'' live at a depth of 0–7 meters and grow to a length of 15 cm. Individuals have a cylindrical body with a mouth and anus on opposite ends. Young individuals are soft and have a light coloration. Papillae begin to appear on the dorsal surface as the individual grows. They have suckered pedicels, which too increase in number as the animal grows. Adults take on a rougher texture and have dark gray bodies with brown spots and a white underside.

Biology

Like some other sea cucumbers, the calcareous ossicles found in ''Holothuria cubana'' can serve as indicators for the animal's growth. The tentacles of small individuals are supported by thin, curved rods. In juveniles, these rods have distinctive perforated ends. These perforated rods shorten and are less frequently present in large specimens, which are instead covered in knob-like buttons. Individuals have one gonad each and engage in external fertilization, as most Holothurians partake in broadcast spawning. Holothurians are known to sift through sediment to eat coral rubble, algae, microorganisms and detritus, and can filter water to find food.

Ecology

Specimens have been found throughout the western central Atlantic Ocean, the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, and the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

. They have been observed to position themselves under objects or sand, making them difficult to spot. Commercial harvesting has led to declines and extinctions of sea cucumber species throughout the Indo-Pacific. Harvesting efforts have in turn increased in the Americas, in places including Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Recovery can be slow for exploited Holothurian populations, and individuals can experience shrinkage after exposure to nutritional stress or environmental conditions. Holothurians contribute to nutrient cycling in reef ecosystems as they eat bacteria, diatoms and detritus.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2491366 Holothuriidae Animals described in 1875