Species · GBIF taxon 4343017
Edible Sea Cucumber
Holothuria edulisAlso known as Pink and Black Sea Cucumber, Red Sea Cucumber
Edible sea cucumbers feature a dark grey or black upper body that contrasts sharply with a bright pink or reddish underside. They crawl slowly across sandy sea floors, vacuuming up sediment to digest organic matter and microalgae before expelling clean sand. This continuous feeding behavior plays a vital role in oxygenating the substrate and recycling nutrients within tropical reef ecosystems.
MarineBenthicDetritivore
- diet
- Organic detritus, microalgae, and sand-associated microbes
- family
- Holothuriidae
- threats
- Overharvesting for the seafood trade and coastal habitat degradation
- life Span
- 5 to 10 years
LC
Contains toxins in the skin; do not ingest raw and handle with care.
Contains holothurin, a toxic saponin in the body wall that can cause skin irritation or severe illness if ingested raw.
Avoid touching with bare hands, especially with open cuts, and never attempt to consume wild consume specimens.- Observe from above: Watch them slowly vacuuming the sandy seafloor in shallow lagoons.
- Do not touch: Handling stresses the animal and can trigger the release of toxic skin secretions.
- Look for color contrast: Spot the distinctive dark upper body contrasting with the bright pink underside.