''Polycheira'' is a genus of

holothuria ''Holothuria'' is the type genus of the marine animal family Holothuriidae, part of the class Holothuroidea, commonly known as sea cucumbers. Members of the genus are found in coastal waters in tropical and temperate regions. They are soft bodied ...

ns (sea cucumbers) found in tropical

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 ...

. A curious pattern of reproduction has been found in ''

Polycheira rufescens ''Polycheira'' is a genus of holothurians (sea cucumbers) found in tropical Indo-Pacific. A curious pattern of reproduction has been found in '' Polycheira rufescens'' where specimens change their sex from male to female and from female to male ...

'' where specimens change their sex from male to female and from female to male in a reproductive season

Systematics

''Polycheira'' appear to be closely related to the genus ''

Chiridota ''Chiridota'' is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Chiridotidae. It is an extant genus but some fossil species are known. Taxonomy The following species are recognised in the genus ''Chiridota'': * '' Chiridota albatrossii'' Edwards, 1907 ...

'' (both belong to the subfamily Chiridotinae). The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

of the genus is ''Polycheira rufescens'' (Brandt, 1835). The following species are recognised in the genus ''Polycheira'':MarineSpecies.org - Polycheira
/ref> *''

Polycheira echinata ''Polycheira'' is a genus of holothurians (sea cucumbers) found in tropical Indo-Pacific. A curious pattern of reproduction has been found in ''Polycheira rufescens'' where specimens change their sex from male to female and from female to male ...

'' Heding, 1928 *''

'' (Brandt, 1835)

References

Holothuroidea genera Chiridotidae {{Holothuroidea-stub