Species · GBIF taxon 2279100
Japanese Sea Cucumber
Apostichopus japonicusAlso known as Japanese Spiky Sea Cucumber, Red Sea Cucumber, Black Sea Cucumber
Japanese sea cucumbers crawl slowly across the seafloor, vacuuming up organic detritus and recycling vital nutrients back into the marine ecosystem. They occur in three distinct color morphs (red, green, and black) which occupy slightly different depths and substrate types. When threatened, these soft-bodied echinoderms can eject their internal organs as a defensive distraction, regenerating them completely within a few weeks.
BenthicDetritivoreEchinoderm
- diet
- Organic detritus, microalgae, and bacteria filtered from seafloor sediments.
- family
- Stichopodidae
- threats
- Overfishing, illegal poaching, habitat degradation, and climate change.
- life Span
- 5 to 10 years
EN
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Heavily targeted by commercial fisheries and illegal poaching for the luxury seafood and traditional medicine markets, causing severe wild population declines.
Never collect or disturb wild individuals; support sustainable aquaculture initiatives instead of purchasing wild-caught specimens.- Look but do not touch: Handling causes extreme stress, which can trigger them to eject their internal organs.
- Scan the shallows: Look for their bumpy, cylindrical bodies camouflaged among rocky crevices and kelp holdfasts.
- Observe the sediment: Watch for the clean trails they leave behind as they vacuum and filter the seafloor.