Species · GBIF taxon 2279170
Sandfish
Holothuria scabraAlso known as Trepang, Beche-de-mer, Chalky Sea Cucumber
Sandfish are stout, sausage-shaped sea cucumbers that play a vital role in marine ecosystems by vacuuming up sandy sediments and recycling nutrients. They spend much of their day buried in warm, shallow seagrass beds, emerging at night to feed on organic detritus and microalgae. Their thick, leathery skin is typically greyish-brown with dark transverse wrinkles, helping them blend seamlessly into muddy lagoon floors.
MarineInvertebrateBurrowing
- diet
- Organic detritus, microalgae, and bacteria filtered from sandy sediment
- family
- Holothuriidae
- threats
- Severe overfishing for the luxury seafood trade, habitat degradation, and coastal development
- life Span
- 8 to 10 years
EN
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Highly targeted by commercial fisheries for the luxury beche-de-mer trade, leading to severe population collapses across its range.
Never collect or disturb wild individuals, and support sustainable aquaculture initiatives instead of wild-caught trade.- Look in seagrass: Search shallow, sandy seagrass meadows during low tide when they are most visible.
- Do not disturb: Avoid picking them up, as stress can cause them to expel their internal organs.
- Observe burrowing: Watch for their distinctive feeding tracks in the sand where they vacuum up sediment.