''Synaptula'' is a genus 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 ...

s, in the family

Synaptidae Synaptidae is a family of sea cucumbers that have no tube feet, tentacle ampullae, retractor muscles, respiratory trees, or cuvierian tubules. They also lack radial canals of the water-vascular system, with only the circumoral ring present. S ...

. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pacific are referred to as ''

Synaptula lamperti ''Synaptula lamperti'' is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata, found on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The echinoderms are marine invertebrates and include the sea urchins, starfish and sea cucu ...

'', which is often the only species named by touristic guides.

List of species

The genus contains the following species: *'' Synaptula alba'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula albolineata'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula ater'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula bandae'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula denticulata'' Heding, 1928 *''

Synaptula hydriformis ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' (Lesueur, 1824) *'' Synaptula indivisa'' (Semper, 1867) *'' Synaptula jolensis'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula lactea'' (Sluiter, 1887) *''

'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula macra'' (H. L. Clark, 1938) *'' Synaptula maculata'' (Sluiter, 1887) *'' Synaptula madreporica'' Heding, 1928 *''

Synaptula media ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Cherbonnier & Féral, 1984 *'' Synaptula minima'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula mortensenii'' Heding, 1929 *'' Synaptula neirensis'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula psara'' (Sluiter, 1887) *''

Synaptula reciprocans ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' (Forskal, 1775) *''

Synaptula recta ''Synaptula recta'', sometimes known as the gut-like sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata. It occurs in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Description ''Synaptula recta'' ...

'' (Semper, 1867) *''

Synaptula reticulata ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' (Semper, 1867) *''

Synaptula rosea ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Heding, 1928 *''

Synaptula rosetta ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Heding, 1928 *''

Synaptula secreta ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Ancona Lopez, 1957 *''

Synaptula spinifera ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Massin & Tomascik, 1996 *''

Synaptula tualensis ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' Heding, 1928 *''

Synaptula varians ''Synaptula'' is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae. This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pac ...

'' (Nair, 1946) *'' Synaptula violacea'' Heding, 1928 *'' Synaptula virgata'' (Sluiter, 1901) Image:Synaptula lamperti.jpg, '' Synaptula cf. lamperti'' , ''

'' Image:Chondrocloea recta - Plate 15 (Clark, 1938) (cropped).jpg, ''

'' Image:Sponge synaptid sea cucumbers (Family Synaptidae).jpg, Unidentified ''Synaptula''

References

Holothuroidea genera Synaptidae {{Holothuroidea-stub