Polycheira
Polycheira is a genus of holothurians (sea cucumbers) found in tropical Indo-Pacific.
| Polycheira | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Polycheira rufescens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Apodida |
| Family: | Chiridotidae |
| Genus: | Polycheira Eschscholtz, 1829 |
| Species | |
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See text. | |
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 in a reproductive season [1]
Systematics
Polycheira appear to be closely related to the genus Chiridota (both belong to the subfamily Chiridotinae).[2] The type species of the genus is Polycheira rufescens (Brandt, 1835).
The following species are recognised in the genus Polycheira:[3]
- Polycheira echinata Heding, 1928
- Polycheira rufescens (Brandt, 1835)
References
- Arakaki,S. et al.,Sex change and spatial distribution pattern in an intertidal holothurian Polycheira rufescens in the reproductive season. Res. Popul. Ecol. 1999, vol. 41, No 3
- Kerr,A.M. Phylogeny of the Apodan Holothurians (Echinodermata) inferred from morphology. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (2001), 133
- MarineSpecies.org - Polycheira
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