Holothuria fuscogilva

Holothuria (Microthele) fuscogilva, also known as the white teatfish or white teeth, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria, subgenus Microthele.[2] The cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean. The species is vulnerable to over-exploitation from commercial fishing. It was first formally named by Gustave Cherbonnier in 1980.[3]

Holothuria fuscogilva
Off of La Réunion
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Holothuriida
Family: Holothuriidae
Genus: Holothuria
Species:
H. fuscogilva
Binomial name
Holothuria fuscogilva
Cherbonnier, 1980

Distribution and habitat

Holothuria fuscogilva are found in the Indo-Pacific ocean in shallow waters near islands and around coral reefs. Juvenile cucumbers live in shallower waters (such as inter-tidal zones) and then migrate to deeper waters as they mature.[3] Spawning occurs during the Northeastern Monsoon season (October to December), and the species reaches sexually maturity relatively late.[3]

Description

Adult cucumbers weigh between 2.4 and 4 kilograms.[3] They are oval in shape and have a firm texture. This species cucumber has lateral papillae (teats) which are often buried in the sand.[3]

Conservation

Holothuria fuscogilva is consumed as a food and is part of a large commercial fishery across its range. The cucumber can be collected by hand using a diving suit or while skin diving, allowing for it to be easily harvested. Due to overfishing, the cucumber was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2010.[1]

A large population of the cucumber formerly existed in Sri Lanka, but decades of overfishing and mismanagement caused a large decline in the species' numbers. Sri Lanka banned the harvesting of the species in 2019.[4]

References
  1. Conand, C., Purcell, S. & Gamboa, R. 2013. Holothuria fuscogilva. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T200715A2681354. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T200715A2681354.en. Downloaded on 11 August 2020.
  2. "Holothuria (Microthele) fuscogilva Cherbonnier, 1980". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  3. "Holothuria fuscogilva, white teeth : fisheries". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  4. "Sri Lanka pushes for protection of sea cucumbers amid overexploitation". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-09.


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