sea cucumbers text index | photo index
Phylum Echinodermata > Class Holothuroidea
See-through sea cucumber
Paracaudina australis*
Family Caudinidae
updated Apr 2020

Where seen? This slippery transparent sea cucumber is sometimes seen floating in water or among seagrasses on some of our Northern shores. Sometimes also seen buried in sand near seagrasses. When seen, many individuals are encountered, and then none for a long time.

Features: 10-15cm long. Body cylindrical and sausage-like. It does not have tube feet and thus feels smooth and slippery. The skin is thin and translucent so it's possible to see the double stripes of muscles along the length of the body and even its internal organs. It has short stubby feeding tentacles.

What does it eat? It burrows and feeds in soft ground. It breathes through its anus so it sticks its backside out to the surface.

Chek Jawa, Sep 03

Short stubby feeding tentacles.

Internal organs sometimes can be seen.

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display

See-through sea cucumbers on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Pasir Ris Park, Jan 09


Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.


East Coast (G), Dec 2022
Photo shared by Kelvin Yong on facebook.



Links

  • Paracaudina australis in North Australian Sea Cucumbers on the Marine Species Identification Portal: Technical fact sheet.

References

  • Lane, David J.W. and Didier Vandenspiegel. 2003. A Guide to Sea Stars and Other Echinoderms of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 187pp.
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