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
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Detritus
- Microalgae
- Bacteria
Predators
- Sea stars
- Crabs
- Predatory fish
ThreatsOverharvesting for the seafood trade and coastal habitat degradation
HabitatsShallow coral reefs, sandy lagoons, and seagrass beds
Life span5 to 10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyHolothuriidae
- SpeciesHolothuria edulis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains toxins in the skin; do not ingest raw and handle with care.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains holothurin, a toxic saponin in the body wall that can cause skin irritation or severe illness if ingested raw.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognizable by its cylindrical body with a dark grey to black upper surface and a contrasting pink or reddish underside.
- What to do
- Avoid touching with bare hands, especially with open cuts, and never attempt to consume wild consume specimens.
Responsible observation
- 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.
Image unavailableFrequent Companion 
Close Relative (c) Leon Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Leon Perrie · cc-by
Close Relative Philippe Bourjon / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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