*Sharper Hooks*
*Tighter Lines*
Sea Cucumber

 

 

 



Giant Red Sea Cucumber

sea_cucumber

Latin Name
Parastichopus californicus

Group Name
Invertebrates

Habitat

Giant red sea cucumbers are a Pacific species that range from the southern coast of Alaska to Baja California. They live at depths of up to 250 metres, preferring rocky or sandy bottoms. While fairly sedentary, sea cucumbers undergo seasonal vertical migrations.

Species Description

Giant red sea cucumbers have an unusual body configuration that is radially pentamerous-organized in a circle of five sections-and devoid of a head (or brain). They are long and cylindrical, resembling a cucumber, hence their name. Underneath their body are several tube feet that create suction and allow them to walk across the ocean floor. Giant red sea cucumbers are red to reddish-orange, covered with pale-coloured bumps that look like spines but are actually soft to the touch. They have 20 tentacles on the front end of their body, which they use to feed. Giant red sea cucumbers grow to about 60 centimetres and can weigh up to a kilogram, making them the largest sea cucumber on Canada's west coast. Scientists do not know how to calculate sea cucumbers' age, so their longevity remains unknown.

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada