Stichopus Vastus
''Stichopus vastus'' is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae The Stichopodidae are a family of sea cucumbers, part of the order Synallactida. Description Members of this family are mostly large or medium-sized holothuroids with a squarish cross-section, a flat ventral surface, and large, fleshy, cone-s .... It is found on the seabed in the tropical, western Indo-Pacific Ocean. References External links * Stichopodidae Animals described in 1887 {{Holothuroidea-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothurian () species worldwide is about 1,717, with the greatest number being in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred to as '' trepang'', ''namako'', ''bĂȘche-de-mer'', or ''balate''. Sea cucumbers serve a useful role in the marine ecosystem as they help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter, after which bacteria can continue the decomposition process. Like all echinoderms, sea cucumbers have an endoskeleton just below the skin, calcified structures that are usually reduced to isolated microscopic ossicles (or sclerietes) joined by connective tissue. In some species these can sometim ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Stichopodidae
The Stichopodidae are a family of sea cucumbers, part of the order Synallactida. Description Members of this family are mostly large or medium-sized holothuroids with a squarish cross-section, a flat ventral surface, and large, fleshy, cone-shaped projections. Their mouths are surrounded by 20 peltate tentacles. They are usually found on soft substrates, such as sand or rubble. Genera List of genera according to the World Register of Marine Species: * genus '' Apostichopus'' Liao, 1980 (8 species, North Pacific) * genus '' Astichopus'' Clark, 1922 (1 species, Caribbean) * genus '' Australostichopus'' Levin in Moraes et al., 2004 (1 species, New Zealand and southern Australia) * genus '' Eostichopus'' Cutress & Miller, 1982 (1 species, Caribbean) * genus '' Isostichopus'' Deichmann, 1958 (3 species, warm East Pacific and Atlantic) * genus '' Neostichopus'' Deichmann, 1948 (1 species, South Africa) * genus '' Parastichopus'' Clark, 1922 (2 species, Atlantic and North Pacific) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |