HOLOTHUROIDEA

LUKE EDGAR, COLTON BURKE & JUSTIN ROBAR

TAXON

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Echinodermata

• Class: Holothuroidea

• Order: Apodida, Elasipodida, Aspidochirotida, Molpadiida, Dendrochirotida, Dactylochirotida

SEA CUCUMBER

CHARACTERISTICS

• Soft bodied echinoderm, invertebrate

• Decomposer

• 20cm on average, ranging 1cm to 3.6m

• 1716 different species

• Tube feet

EVOLUTION

• 400 million years ago (Lower Devonian Period)

• Evolved from Ophiocistioids (Paleozoic Era)

• Poor fossil records, ossicles

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS

• Respiratory trees

• Evisceration to deter predators or seasonally

• Calcite rings around pharynx

• Oracle tentacles

• Ossicles are primary bone structure

VIDEO

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxKFc3XtJs

LIFE CYCLE

• Reproduce sexually through broadcast spawning

• Asexual reproduction, regeneration, protandric

• Zygote Larvae Adult (Metamorphosis)

• Sexual Dimorphism

• 5-10 year lifespan

FUN FACTS

• Pharmaceutical toxins

• Gourmet food item in orient

• Fish & octopii bait

• Tubules used as bandages

• Commensalism, pearl fish

WORKS CITED

• Mah, Christopher. The Echinoblog. n.p., 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

• Hui, KaWai. Sea Cucumber- Holothuria pardalis. The University of Wisconsin La Crosse, Apr. 2008. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

• Kerr, Alexander. Holothuroidea. Version 1. Tree of Life, Dec. 2000. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

• Bordbar, Sara et al. High-Value Components and Bioactives from Sea Cucumbers for Functional Foods—A Review. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, 10 Oct. 2011.Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

• Paulay, Gustav. WoRMS taxon details: Holothuroidea. World Register of Marine Species, 8 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

• Mulcrone, Renee. Animal Diversity Web: Holothuroidea. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

• Waggoner, Ben, and Brian Speer. The Holothuroidea. University of California Museum of Paleontology, 1994. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

• “Sea cucumber.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

QUESTIONS?