Pelagothuria natatrix   Ludwig, 1893


Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Pelagothuria natatrix  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Holothuroidea | Elasipodida | Pelagothuriidae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Pelagic; depth range 0 - 4505 m (Ref. 127484).  Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Eastern Pacific.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm

Short description Morphology

Shape is a reminiscent of a medusa that resembles a jellyfish. Body conical, which supports an enormous umbrella-like veil. The veil extended anteriorly, composed of 12-16 large webbed podia. Body wall transparent and pigmented pale violet or pink.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Only known truly pelagic holothurian, floating or drifting near seafloor or high in the water column (Refs. 109722, 129602). Also known as a swimmng sea cucumber, it is found in low oxygen areas and is assumed as a tactic to avoid predators that are more oxygen-hungry and could easily suffocate (Ref. 127487). Feeds on resuspended sediments or detrital material from shallower depths (Ref. 109722).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Members of the class Holothuroidea are gonochoric and have only one gonad. Spawning and fertilization are both external and some exhibit brooding. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (auricularia) then into doliolaria (barrel-shaped stage) which later metamorphose into juvenile sea cucumbers.

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Alvarado, J.J. and J. Cortés. 2009. (Ref. 83942)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless

Human uses


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FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Common names
Synonyms
Predators
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance
References
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures

Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 12.6 - 16.8, mean 14.8 (based on 30 cells).