What is this?

July 5, 2005
From: Jeremy Wood

I got a picture of this thing at Sea World in San Antonio, USA. I have no idea what it is. Can you identify it?

Length: 30 cm? Photographer: Jeremy Wood

Jeremy Wood

qcotms@aol.com

Wood, J., 2005 (Jul 5) What is this? . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14187

Dear Jeremy,
This is a sea cucumber or holothurian. Some species which are collected for food [beche de mer, trepang] are unfortunately called sea slugs but they are unrelated to nudibranchs and other opisthobranchs. Sea Cucumbers are echinoderms, which also include starfish and sea urchins. One clue to its identity are the two rows of tube feet which  you can see in the close-up alongside. Usually these have suckers at their tips and are used for 'walking'. This is a very spectacularly coloured species named Pseudocolochirus violaceus.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Jul 5). Comment on What is this? by Jeremy Wood. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14187

Factsheet

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