Holothuria nobilis
Species of sea cucumber
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis, the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. The sea cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean.[3] It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867.[4]
| Holothuria nobilis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Holothuroidea |
| Order: | Holothuriida |
| Family: | Holothuriidae |
| Genus: | Holothuria |
| Species: | H. nobilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Holothuria nobilis (Selenka, 1867) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
The cucumber inhabits shallow waters near islands and reefs. Members of the species are blackish-brown and grey in colour, and mature adults can weight between 1.7 and 4 kilograms.[5]
Use as food
Like the related white teatfish, the black teatfish is part of a commercial fishery across its range and the cucumber is regularly consumed as a food.[5] The species can be collected off the seafloor using diving suits or while skindiving, making the species very vulnerable to overfishing.[5] The species is considered critically endangered.[6][1]
