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
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Detritus
- Microalgae
- Bacteria
Predators
- Sea stars
- Crabs
- Large predatory fish
ThreatsSevere overfishing for the luxury seafood trade, habitat degradation, and coastal development
HabitatsShallow coastal waters, seagrass beds, sandy lagoons, and muddy flats
Life span8 to 10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- SpeciesHolothuria scabra
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for a stout, sausage-shaped body with a greyish-brown upper surface, dark transverse wrinkles, and a pale cream underside.
- Support conservation
- Never collect or disturb wild individuals, and support sustainable aquaculture initiatives instead of wild-caught trade.
Responsible observation
- 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.
Image unavailableCo-occurring Species 
Close Relative Philippe Bourjon / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative "Edible Sea Cucumber (Holothuria edulis)" by Ed Bierman is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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