Giant Red 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