''Bohadschia marmorata'', commonly known as the brown sandfish or chalky cucumber, is a species of

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 holothuria ...

in the family Holothuriidae. It lives on the seabed in shallow waters in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region.

Description

''Bohadschia marmorata'' is cylindrical in shape and grows to about long. The body wall is tough and leathery and has a rough texture due to the calcareous spicules it contains. It is covered in translucent papillae up to across and a few short spines. The anterior end of the body is somewhat narrowed and has a mouth surrounded by a ring of retractile tentacles. The posterior end is rounded and has an anal opening. Adjoining this is the

cloaca In animal anatomy, a cloaca ( ), plural cloacae ( or ), is the posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles and birds, a ...

through which defensive white sticky threads, the

cuvierian tubules Cuvierian tubules are clusters of fine tubes located at the base of the respiratory tree in some sea cucumbers in the genera '' Bohadschia'', ''Holothuria'' and '' Pearsonothuria'', all of which are included in the family Holothuriidae. The tubule ...

, may be ejected when the animal is stressed. The cloaca is also connected to the respiratory tree, into and out of which water is pumped for gas exchange. The body colour is cream or orange partially obscured by variable numbers of dark brown speckles and blotches. On the underside is a wide pale-coloured longitudinal stripe and many short, slender tube feet with knobbly tips.''Bohadschia marmorata'': Brown Sandfish
Cook Islands Biodiversity. Retrieved 2012-02-09.

Distribution and habitat

''Bohadschia marmorata'' is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The range extends from the Red Sea and east coast of Africa to Japan, the Philippines and Australia. It lives on the sandy or gravelly bottoms of shallow water areas and

seagrass meadow A seagrass meadow or seagrass bed is an underwater ecosystem formed by seagrasses. Seagrasses are marine (saltwater) plants found in shallow coastal waters and in the brackish waters of estuaries. Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems and ...

s at depths down to about . It is often semi-submerged in the sand.

Biology

''Bohadschia marmorata'' is a

detritivore Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders, or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces). There are many kinds of invertebrates, ...

. It uses its tube feet to move around and scoops sand, mud and debris into its mouth with its oral tentacles. Having processed this material in its gut, it voids the remains, leaving a characteristic trail of sand on the seabed.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q910593 Holothuriidae Fauna of the Indian Ocean Fauna of the Pacific Ocean Animals described in 1833