Species:
Other names: Sandfish, Golden Sandfish,
Description
Golden Sandfish is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It was placed in the sub genus Metriatyla by Rowe in 1969 and is the type species of the sub genus. Sandfish are harvested and processed into "beche-de-mer" and eaten in China and other Pacific coastal communities. Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates and are closely related to sea urchins and starfish. All these groups tend to have radial symmetry and have a water vascular system that operates by hydro static pressure, enabling them to move around by use of many suckers known as tube feet. Sea cucumbers are usually leathery, gherkin-shaped animals with a cluster of feeding tentacles at one end surrounding the mouth. The body is oval and stout with flattened ends; Golden Sandfish has prominent wrinkles on its upper surface and is generally smaller and lighter that the varicolored variety.
Golden Sandfish has a grey to greenish upper surface with many fine black spots, and a creamy lower surface. The varicolored variety is more variable in color, ranging from beige (uniform or with black spots) to uniform black.
Sandfish are found in many countries in the Indo-Pacific, from east Africa to the eastern Pacific. They are usually found between the latitudes of 30°N and 30°S.
The preferred habitats of sandfish are shallow tropical waters, usually less than 20m deep, such as sheltered areas with high levels of nutrients, including muddy substrata and sea grass beds. They can tolerate reduced salinity (20 ppt) for short periods and so are sometimes found in brackish water. Its average density is about 100 animals per hectare. They often spend part of the day buried in the silty sand.
Depth range: less than 20m deep
Maximum Length: 30 cm
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Body Thickness: 7mm
Depth Range: 0-30m
Average Weight: 1.1kg
Habitat:
Inner reef flats of coastal lagoons; burrows in mud and sandy-muddy bottoms. Generally deeper than sandfish.
0 comments:
Post a Comment