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
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Short stubby feeding tentacles.
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Internal organs sometimes can be seen.
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*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 |
Other sightings on Singapore shores |
Pasir Ris Park, Jan 09
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Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog. |
East Coast (G), Dec 2022
Photo shared by Kelvin Yong on facebook.
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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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