Pineapple sea cucumber
Home/Marine Life/Pineapple sea cucumber
- Name / Latin
- Pineapple sea cucumber — Thelenota ananas
- Brief description
- The pineapple sea cucumber is a very large holothurian of the family Stichopodidae, living on sandy areas and among coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. It is notable for its size and firm, "armoured" body with many pointed star-shaped papillae in rows of 2–3. Coloration is usually warm grey-brown to reddish-orange with darker patches. It feeds on organic matter from the sediment by passing the surface layer of the bottom through its mouth.
- Size:
- up to 80 cm
- Depth:
- 2–30 m
- Habitat:
- Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Red Sea
- Family:
- Stichopodidae
- Type:
- Echinoderms
- Activity:
- Diurnal
- Conservation status:
- Endangered (EN) — threatened with extinction according to IUCN assessment
The pineapple sea cucumber (Thelenota ananas), also known as the prickly cucumber, pointed sea cucumber, armoured sea cucumber or giant sea cucumber, is a large member of the family Stichopodidae found in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific. Its range stretches from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa to Hawaii and Polynesia.
This sea cucumber is characterised by its large size, warm colours and pointed star-shaped papillae covering the body in rows of 2 or 3. Deep skin folds give it its typical "pineapple" look.
Colour is greyish-green or brownish with many bumps and small conical spines.
They can reach 70 cm in length and weigh 3 to 6 kg, making this one of the largest sea cucumbers.
The pineapple sea cucumber lives on sandy and coral areas of the sea floor, at depths of 5 to 30 metres.
Like other sea cucumbers, it plays an important role in keeping the sea floor clean by processing detritus and organic particles, filtering sediment and improving the quality of the bottom.
It can fall prey to large fish and sea stars.
When threatened it releases Cuvierian tubules, which entangle predators. It can regenerate and regrow lost body parts. It can change its colour slightly for camouflage.
One of the largest sea cucumbers. In some countries it is used for food, though populations are under threat from overfishing. It often interacts with other reef animals and can provide a home for small fish and shrimp.
