Philippine sea apple
COMMON NAME IN FRENCH: pomme de mer ENGLISH NAME: Philippine sea apple
LATIN NAME: Pseudocolochirus violaceus
FAMILY: Cucumariidae
In the exhibition: rhe Philippine sea apple can be viewed in the Biodiversity Zone, after the Tropical Lagoon.
Geographic distribution: rhe Philippine sea apple lives in the Indo-Pacific, more precisely in Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, China, Hong-Kong, Japan, along the east coast of Africa from South Africa to the Red Sea and Madagascar.
Habitat: this species lives at depths of between 0 and 13 m. Sea cucumbers of the genus Pseudocolochirus can be found at depths of up to 30 m. turbides.
Description: it is not easy to tell the different species of the genus Pseudocolochirus apart. It uses its ramified tentacles on the topside of its body to capture food.
Diet: the Philippine sea apple is a detritivore feeding on marine organic particulate matter, marine snow, phytoplankton, fragments of seaweed and zooplancton.
Size: it can measure between 10 and 18 cm in length.
Threats and protective measures: as it stands, there are no specific protective measures for nor any inventory of the Philippine sea apple or Pseudocolochirus violaceus. The only interest in this animal comes from aquarium enthusiasts. However, CITES does list other sea cucumbers from the same family, which are causing different degrees of concern.
Source: www.cites.org/fra/com/AC/22/F22-16.pdf
Species characteristics and ability to occupy an ecosystem niche in the context of biodiversity: the Philippine sea apple attaches itself to rocks using its tube feet and deploys its branch-like tentacles to capture organic particulate matter, which it periodically transfers to its mouth.
Resilience: when in danger, the Philippine sea apple, like all sea cucumbers, possesses the ability to expel protective internal organs called Cuvierian tubules - these are regenerated quite quickly afterwards. On contact with the water the tubules expand to form a protective mucus.
Services provided to humanity: research has identified the effects of bioactive compounds from the Sea Apple on malignant (cancerous) cells.
Geographic distribution: rhe Philippine sea apple lives in the Indo-Pacific, more precisely in Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, China, Hong-Kong, Japan, along the east coast of Africa from South Africa to the Red Sea and Madagascar.
Habitat: this species lives at depths of between 0 and 13 m. Sea cucumbers of the genus Pseudocolochirus can be found at depths of up to 30 m. turbides.
Description: it is not easy to tell the different species of the genus Pseudocolochirus apart. It uses its ramified tentacles on the topside of its body to capture food.
Diet: the Philippine sea apple is a detritivore feeding on marine organic particulate matter, marine snow, phytoplankton, fragments of seaweed and zooplancton.
Size: it can measure between 10 and 18 cm in length.
Threats and protective measures: as it stands, there are no specific protective measures for nor any inventory of the Philippine sea apple or Pseudocolochirus violaceus. The only interest in this animal comes from aquarium enthusiasts. However, CITES does list other sea cucumbers from the same family, which are causing different degrees of concern.
Source: www.cites.org/fra/com/AC/22/F22-16.pdf
Species characteristics and ability to occupy an ecosystem niche in the context of biodiversity: the Philippine sea apple attaches itself to rocks using its tube feet and deploys its branch-like tentacles to capture organic particulate matter, which it periodically transfers to its mouth.
Resilience: when in danger, the Philippine sea apple, like all sea cucumbers, possesses the ability to expel protective internal organs called Cuvierian tubules - these are regenerated quite quickly afterwards. On contact with the water the tubules expand to form a protective mucus.
Services provided to humanity: research has identified the effects of bioactive compounds from the Sea Apple on malignant (cancerous) cells.
SOURCES
Books:
J. SPRUNG. Trad. and adapt. J.M. BOUR. Invertébrés. Guide pratique d’identification et de maintenance. Ricordea Publishing, 2002
Collectif. Océan. Encyclopédie universelle. Ed. Geo/Gallimard, 2006
On echinoderms in general:
P.P. GRASSE. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie. Echinodermes – Stomocordés – Procordés. Tome XI. Ed. Masson, 1966
Articles:
ZHANG Shu-Yu (1) ; YI Yang-Hua (1) ; TANG Hai-Feng (1) ; LING LI (1) ; PENG SUN (1) ; JUN WU (1). Two new bioactive triterpene glycosides from the sea cucumber Pseudocolochirus violaceus. Journal of Asian natural products research , 2006, vol. 8, no1-2, pp. 1-8
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Photos Pauline BINCTEUX
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