The Edible Sea Cucumber
FRENCH COMMON NAME: holothurie rose comestible ENGLISH NAME: edible sea cucumber
LATINE NAME: Holothuria edulis
FAMILY: Holothuridae
In the exhibition: the edible sea cucumber can be viewed in the Biodiversity Zone, after the Tropical Lagoon.
Geographic distribution: the edible sea cucumber can be found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Habitat: it lives on the sand, on rock and in coral reefs.
Description: it has a soft body which is covered in tiny warty bumps. This sea cucumber is black or grey-brown on its back and varies from pinkish red to beige on its underside.
Diet: the edible sea cucumber is detritivorous and feeds either by capturing particles suspended in the water or by ingesting and digesting organic material it finds in the sea sediment (sand) over which it travels by crawling slowly.
Size: 20-30 cm, sometimes up to 35 cm.
Threats and protective measures: not currently listed as endangered by the IUCN although a workshop « GMSA - Sea Cucumber – Red List assessment workshop, Panama City, Panama. » is scheduled in January 2010.
Species characteristics and ability to occupy an ecosystem niche in the context of biodiversity: some 1,250 species of sea cucumber have been recorded across the world. They are detritivorous, feeding either by capturing particles suspended in the water or by ingesting and digesting organic material they find in the sea sediment (sand) over which they travel by crawling slowly. Some species are able to ‘process’ several hundred tonnes of sand per km² per year.
The edible sea cucumber, like many other large sea cucumbers, occasionally provides a home for tiny crustaceans which burrow into the surface of its skin. It also sometimes provides shelter to small fish (often from the family Carapidae) inside its body. These small fish are inquilinous. Inquilinism is an association in which one animal provides a living space for another, but there is no physiological interaction. For instance, the inquiline Carapus (formerly known as a fierasfer) seeks shelter in its host (the sea cucumber).
Resilience: the sea cucumber is a hardy species and reproduces through binary fission (an asexual form of reproduction by division of the animal into two).When in danger from predators sea cucumbers are able to harden their bodies or camouflage themselves using a strategy of mimickry.They also have the ability to expel protective internal organs (called Cuvierian tubules). These are regenerated again quite quickly afterwards. On contact with the water the tubules expand to form protective mucus.
Services provided to humanity in the fields of medical research, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products: sea cucumbers are not harvested by western fishing industry. However, there is a large Asian market, especially in China, for pre-prepared sea cucumbers known as trepang (sea cucumbers are gutted, cooked and dried).Trepang is a nutritional food without carbohydrates and containing 30 to 50% protein.This is driving the development of fisheries (and aquaculture) in the Indian Ocean, especially in Madagascar. In the 1990s only 4 or 5 species were harvested. Today, they all are. Their overharvesting is therefore accelerating. To try and mitigate this problem some producers are developing sea cucumber farming. In 2001, the world sea cucumber harvest was some 18,859 tonnes, comparable to 50% of the eel harvest, and to more than the total seaweed production of France, over the same period. This edible species is widely marketed throughout Asia. In the 1990s only 4 or 5 species were harvested. Today, they all are. Their overharvesting is therefore accelerating. To try and mitigate this problem, some producers are developing sea cucumber farming.
Source : FAO 2009 - statistics - 2007
Sea cucumbers are detritivorous. Some species are able to ‘process’ several hundred tonnes of sand per km² per year. In summary: the edible sea cucumber is a popular edible species across Asia. They are harvested or reared and then consumed widely as trepang (the animal is gutted, cooked and dried). It is also a rich source of protein.
Geographic distribution: the edible sea cucumber can be found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Habitat: it lives on the sand, on rock and in coral reefs.
Description: it has a soft body which is covered in tiny warty bumps. This sea cucumber is black or grey-brown on its back and varies from pinkish red to beige on its underside.
Diet: the edible sea cucumber is detritivorous and feeds either by capturing particles suspended in the water or by ingesting and digesting organic material it finds in the sea sediment (sand) over which it travels by crawling slowly.
Size: 20-30 cm, sometimes up to 35 cm.
Threats and protective measures: not currently listed as endangered by the IUCN although a workshop « GMSA - Sea Cucumber – Red List assessment workshop, Panama City, Panama. » is scheduled in January 2010.
Species characteristics and ability to occupy an ecosystem niche in the context of biodiversity: some 1,250 species of sea cucumber have been recorded across the world. They are detritivorous, feeding either by capturing particles suspended in the water or by ingesting and digesting organic material they find in the sea sediment (sand) over which they travel by crawling slowly. Some species are able to ‘process’ several hundred tonnes of sand per km² per year.
The edible sea cucumber, like many other large sea cucumbers, occasionally provides a home for tiny crustaceans which burrow into the surface of its skin. It also sometimes provides shelter to small fish (often from the family Carapidae) inside its body. These small fish are inquilinous. Inquilinism is an association in which one animal provides a living space for another, but there is no physiological interaction. For instance, the inquiline Carapus (formerly known as a fierasfer) seeks shelter in its host (the sea cucumber).
Resilience: the sea cucumber is a hardy species and reproduces through binary fission (an asexual form of reproduction by division of the animal into two).When in danger from predators sea cucumbers are able to harden their bodies or camouflage themselves using a strategy of mimickry.They also have the ability to expel protective internal organs (called Cuvierian tubules). These are regenerated again quite quickly afterwards. On contact with the water the tubules expand to form protective mucus.
Services provided to humanity in the fields of medical research, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products: sea cucumbers are not harvested by western fishing industry. However, there is a large Asian market, especially in China, for pre-prepared sea cucumbers known as trepang (sea cucumbers are gutted, cooked and dried).Trepang is a nutritional food without carbohydrates and containing 30 to 50% protein.This is driving the development of fisheries (and aquaculture) in the Indian Ocean, especially in Madagascar. In the 1990s only 4 or 5 species were harvested. Today, they all are. Their overharvesting is therefore accelerating. To try and mitigate this problem some producers are developing sea cucumber farming. In 2001, the world sea cucumber harvest was some 18,859 tonnes, comparable to 50% of the eel harvest, and to more than the total seaweed production of France, over the same period. This edible species is widely marketed throughout Asia. In the 1990s only 4 or 5 species were harvested. Today, they all are. Their overharvesting is therefore accelerating. To try and mitigate this problem, some producers are developing sea cucumber farming.
Source : FAO 2009 - statistics - 2007
Sea cucumbers are detritivorous. Some species are able to ‘process’ several hundred tonnes of sand per km² per year. In summary: the edible sea cucumber is a popular edible species across Asia. They are harvested or reared and then consumed widely as trepang (the animal is gutted, cooked and dried). It is also a rich source of protein.
SOURCES
Books:
W. BAUMEISTER. Guide de la faune sous-marine. Mer Rouge et Océan Indien. Tome 1 : Les Invertébrés. Ed. Ulmer, 1997.
J. SPRUNG. Trad. et adapt. J.M. BOUR. Invertébrés. Guide pratique d’identification et de maintenance. Ricordea Publishing, 2002
J.-M. KORNPROBST. Substances naturelles d’origine marine. Chimiodiversité – Pharmacodiversité –Biotechnologies. Tome 2 : Invertébrés – Vertébrés. Ed.Tec&Doc/Lavoisier, 2005
V. TORAL-GRANDA, A. LOVATELLI, M. VASCONCELLOS (eds). Sea cucumbers. A global review of fisheries and trade. FAO, 2008. Coll. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper.
Collectif. Océan. Encyclopédie universelle. Ed. Geo/Gallimard, 2006
J.L. MODERE et R. PUJOL. Préf. Y. COPPENS. Dictionnaire raisonné de biologie. Ed. Frison-Roche, 2003
Articles:
P. MAILLARD et C. ALEGOET. Les Echinodermes : les Holothuridés. Subaqua, hors-série n°1, pp 92-93
Websites:
Statistiques et études FAO sur les holothuries :
Statistiques de comparaison des algues en France :
Présentation photographique des holothuries à potentiel commercial du Pacifique
Autres informations du Secrétariat Général de la Communauté Pacifique :
Encyclopedia Universalis : article de Andrée TETRY sur l’inquilisme.
Photo Pauline BINCTEUX
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