Sea Cucumbers

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Sea Cucumbers

• The globally unique fauna of the Victorian coast

P. Mark OLoughlin Honorary Associate, Museum
Victoria, Marine Science (since 1980)

• My acknowledgement and gratitude for
• Images provided by Marine Research Group members
  Leon Altoff, John Eichler and Platon Vafiadis.
• Assistance with image editing and PowerPoint by
  Liz Dane (Museum Victoria).

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• Think small!
• Think hidden!
• Think undiscovered species!
• Think behaviour (social, reproductive, nutrition)!

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Smilasterias multipara OLoughlin and OHara, 1990
Holotype, NMV F53036
Echinoderm (seastar) gastric brooding
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Archaster typicus Müller and Troschel, 1840
Echinoderm (seastar) male on female
pseudo-copulation Japan species
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Coscinasterias muricata Verrill, 1867 larger
Allostichaster polyplax (Müller and Troschel,
1844) smaller
Echinoderm (seastar) reproduction by splitting
(fissiparity)
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Meridiastra fissura OLoughlin, 2002
Echinoderm (seastar) small red optical cushion
sense organ
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Brown papillate sea cucumber Australostichopus
mollis (Hutton, 1872)
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Smooth tapered sea cucumber Paracaudina
australis (Semper, 1868)
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Mottled box sea cucumber Plesiocolochirus
ignava (Ludwig, 1875)
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Chocolate sea cucumber Staurothyone inconspicua
(Bell, 1887)
Eichlers sea cucumber Staurothyone sp. (new)
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Falconers sea cucumber or Caterpillar sea
cucumber Australostichopus mollis (Hutton, 1872)
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Golden-red sea cucumber Squamocnus aureoruber
OLoughlin and OHara, 1992
Button and cup ossicles from body wall
Rod ossicle from tentacle
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Violet sea cucumber Cucumella mutans (Joshua,
1914) Blue-grey sea cucumber Neoamphicyclus
lividus Hickman1962
Body wall table ossicle
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Rowes sea cucumber Cucuvitrum rowei OLoughlin
and OHara, 1992
White sea cucumber Trachythyone candida
OLoughlin and OHara, 1992
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Black sea cucumber Psolidiella nigra Mortensen,
1925
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Feet covered sea cucumber Lipotrapeza vestiens
(Joshua, 1914)
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Red worm sea cucumber Taeniogyrus roebucki
(Joshua, 1914)
Wheel and hook ossicles from body wall
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Violet-flecked sea cucumber Trochodota sp. cf.
allani (Joshua, 1912)
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White spotted pink sea cucumber Chiridota gigas
Dendy and Hindle, 1907
Wheel and bracket rod ossicles
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Sticky sea cucumber Leptosynapta dolabrifera
(Stimpson, 1855)
Plate and anchor ossicles
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Black and white psolid sea cucumber Ceto
cuvieria (Cuvier, 1817) South Australia
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Antarctic psolid sea cucumber Psolus
antarcticus (Philippi, 1857) Macquarie Island
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Hickmans psolid seacucumber Psolidium ravum
Hickman, 1962 Syntype AM J7202 (30 mm
long) Specimen from Tasmania, Derwent Estuary
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Golden-red sea cucumber Squamocnus aureoruber
OLoughlin and OHara, 1992 Specimen 7 mm long
Various stages of fissiparity
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Constrictions sea cucumber Molpadiodemas
constrictus OLoughlin and Ahearn, 2005
Paratype USNM 1022815 (51 mm long) Specimen from
North Atlantic Ocean, Puerto Rico Trench, 7086 m,
20 January 1973, collected by RV Gilliss
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Marsupial sea cucumber Neocnus bimarsupiis
OLoughlin and OHara, 1992 Specimen 5 mm long
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Maroon brooding sea cucumber Pentocnus
bursatus OLoughlin and OHara, 1992
Holotype, NMV F57549 (6 mm long)
Juveniles and embryos Cape Paterson 1980, 1981
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Chocolate sea cucumber Staurothyone inconspicua
(Bell, 1887)
Coelomic embryo / juvenile attached to gonad
tubule
Brood juveniles dissected from the coelom of a
female
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Blue-grey sea cucumber Neoamphicyclus lividus
Hickman, 1962
Adult (20 mm long) with brood 528 brood juveniles
(October)
Adult (30 mm long) with single large brood
juvenile (December)
Adult (10 mm long) with 58 brood juveniles
removed from coelom
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Blue-grey sea cucumber Neoamphicyclus lividus
Hickman, 1962 Brood juveniles removed from coelom
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Brood embryos in pockets around anterior body wall
Hickmans sea cucumber Psolidiella hickmani
OLoughlin, 2000
Black sea cucumber Psolidiella nigra
Mortensen, 1925
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Psolidocnus amokurae (Mortensen, 1925)
New Zealand specimen and species
NZ specimen from Kaikoura, 91 m, 14 June 1961
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Psolidocnus amokurae (Mortensen, 1925)
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Cucumaria sp. cf. georgiana (Lampert, 1886)
Composite drawing by Mark OLoughlin of male
(with genital papilla in tentacle crown) and
female (with anterior interradial marsupia with
openings at the introvert)
Specimen from Prydz Bay, Antarctica
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Cucumaria sp. cf. georgiana (Lampert, 1886)
Male (23 mm long) with digitate genital papilla
(1.5 mm long) on oral disc
Anterior view of female with juvenile emerging
from marsupium, juveniles in marsupia
Female (37 mm long) with with openings (two) into
anterior interradial marsupia