Bohadschia vitiensis (Semper, 1868)
Brown sandfish
photo by Purcell, Steven

Family:  Holothuriidae (sea cucumbers)
Max. size:  50 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 1,600.0 g
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 36 - 200 m
Distribution:  Widespread in the Indo-Pacific.
Diagnosis:  Mean live weight 1,200 to 1,600 g; body-wall thickness: 0.7 cm. Body cylindrical, arched dorsally (bivium) and flattened ventrally (trivium); calcareous disc of podia around 300 micrometer in diameter. Mouth ventral, surrounded by 20 small, short and yellowish tentacles. Anus nearly dorsal. Calcareous ring with large radial pieces and narrow interradials. Cuvierian tubules numerous and thick. Bivium yellow with brown band; trivium lighter; podia on bivium and trivium encircled by a characteristics brown spot. Spicules on ventral tegument with a variety of pseudo-rosettes and biscuit-like nodules; dorsal tegument with rosettes and a few rods; ventral podia with various rods; tentacles with rods, straight or slightly curved and very spiny.
Biology:  May be harvested with other reef flat species, such as Bohadschia similis and Holothuria scabra, when they occur together, but the sticky Cuvierian tubules make the collection and processing disagreeable. Collected by hand at low tide, or by divers. Processed product is not distinguished from those of other Bohadschia species and is of little commercial value. Found in moderately shallow waters; mostly on coastal lagoons and inner reef flats; abundant in sandy-muddy sediments where it burrows most of the time (Ref. 122). Known to be nocturnally active (Ref. 85218). Population densities generally less than 0.02 per square meter (Ref. 122).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 15 November 2011 Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans:  harmless
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