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In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of prickly redfish Thelenota ananas (Jaeger, 1833) was determined and characterized from the South China Sea using next-generation sequencing. Our results showed that the length of the whole mitogenome in prickly redfish was 15,858 bp and the mitogenome was consist of 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and one control region. Furthermore, the nucleotide composition was significantly biased (composition of A, G, T, and C was 28.20%, 22.64%, 33.53%, and 15.63%, respectively) with AT contents of 61.73%. All the PCGs shared a standard initiation codon ATG or GTG. CYTB and ND6 genes terminated with an incomplete stop codon T, while others ended with TAA or TAG. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that Thelenota ananas was clustered with the species of genus Stichopus, and formed sister branches with species of other genera within the family Stichopodidae clade.

The aim of the study was to determine the ecological potential and pattern of the distribution of sea cucumbers in the waters of Tanjungkeramat, Pangkil Village, Teluk Bintan District, Bintan regency. This study uses a survey method, determining the area with a swap area method of 4 areas, measuring the area using a meter with a length and width of 100 x 50 m. The results of the study found 2 types. Sea cucumber from the subfamily namely Holothuriidae and Stichopodidae. The highest density of Holothuroidea species in area I is 46 individual/ha. The lowest density is in area IV which is 12 individual/ha. Sea cucumber density in Tanjungkeramat is still relatively good. The water conditions in Tanjungkeramat still meet the quality standards that support the life of sea cucumber. Distribution pattern in area I with Id value 0.69, area II with Id value 0.68, and area III with a value of 0.42 has an even distribution pattern, while the distribution pattern in area IV Id 1.00 has a random distribution pattern.

Heavy metals concentrated in waters can also accumulate in sediments and various biota. This research was conducted to examine the concentration of heavy metals in seawater, sediment, intestine and meat of golden sea cucumber Stichopus herrmanni in Kayeli bay, Buru Island, Indonesia. The concentrations of heavy metals Hg, Au, and Fe were analyzed using the AAS, and the tissue damage of S. herrmanni used the HE staining method. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to examine the correlation and the effect of the independent variables (heavy metals Hg, Au, and Fe) partially on the dependent variable (damage on intestinal villi of S. herrmanni) with a statistically significant at α= 0.05. The results showed that the highest to lowest heavy metal concentrations in water was Hg>Fe>Au, while the concentration of heavy metals in water, intestine and meat was of sea cucumber was Fe>Hg>Au. There was a correlation between heavy metals in sediments, intestines, and meat which caused damage to intestinal villi, while the multiple linear regression tests showed a probability of 0.0120.05 for Au on the damage of intestinal villi of S. herrmanni. This shows that Fe has a significant potential to cause damage to the intestinal villi of S. herrmanni. Fe is highly concentrated in sediments, intestines and meat showed a positive correlation to the damage of intestinal villi of S. herrmanni., Bu araştırma, Endonezya'nın Buru Adası, Kayeli koyunda deniz suyu, sediment ile Stichopus herrmanni (deniz salatalığı) bağırsak ve kaslarında ağır metallerin konsantrasyonunu incelemek için yapıldı. Hg, Au ve Fe konsantrasyonları AAS kullanılarak analiz edildi ve S. herrmanni'nin doku hasarı için HE boyama yöntemi kullandı. Korelasyon analizi ve çoklu lineer regresyon, bağımsız değişkenler ile (ağır metaller Hg, Au ve Fe) kısmen bağımlı değişken (S. herrmanni'nin bağırsak villusundaki hasar) üzerindeki korelasyonunu ve etkisini α = 0.05. istatistiksel önem seviyesinde incelemek için kullanıldı. Sonuçlar, sudaki en yüksek ve en düşük ağır metal konsantrasyonlarının Hg> Fe> Au olduğunu, su, bağırsak ve etteki ağır metal konsantrasyonunun ise deniz salatalıklarında Fe> Hg> Au olduğunu göstermiştir. Sediman, bağırsak ve etlerdeki ağır metaller arasında bağırsak villerine zarar veren bir korelasyon vardı, ancak çoklu lineer regresyon testleri, Fe için 0.012 0.05 olasılığı göstermiştir.Bu Fe'nin S. herrmanni'nin bağırsak villerine zarar verme potansiyeli olduğunu göstermektedir. Fe, tortular, bağırsaklar ve ette yüksek oranda konsantre edilir ve S. herrmanni'nin bağırsak villusunun hasarı ile pozitif bir korelasyon göstermiştir.

Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) spotted morph Figures 4–5, Table 2 Material examined. LPVCMRMS2019.305; LPVCMRMS2019.306, Mostaganem, Algeria, 36° 05.077’ N, 00° 00.490’ E, 225 m, 03 June 2019, 2 specs. LPVCMRMS2019.307, Mostaganem, Algeria, 36° 02.611’ N, 00° 01.823’ O, 117 m, 03 June 2019, 1 spec. LPVCMRMS2019.311; LPVCMRMS2019.312, Bouzedjar, Algeria, 35° 38.068’ N, 01° 08.766’ O, 96 m, 04 June 2019, 2 specs. LPVCMRMS2019.310, Arzew, Algeria, 35° 55.444’ N, 00° 00.490’ E, 77 m, 04 June 2019, 1 spec. Description. Specimens (Figures 4A and 4B) preserved length 14–24.90 cm, contracted width 4–7.50 cm; total weight 25.07–143.50 g. Each with 5–7 brownish to dark red blotches on the bivium when alive (Figure 4A 1) disappearing after storage in ethanol. Morphological characters similar to non-spotted specimens described above. Dorsal body wall 1.23–6.19 mm thick; ventral body wall 1.22–6.77 mm thick. Polian vesicle single, average length 17.57 mm; stone canal also single, average length about 10.71 mm. Calcareous ring about 13 mm in diameter. Longitudinal muscles flat, attached to body wall, about 6.75 mm in thickness (Table 2). Ossicles. Anal region (Figure 5A), dorsal (Figure 5B) and ventral surfaces (Figure 5C) present the same type of ossicles as non-spotted specimens. Table discs (Figures 5 Aa; 5Ba; 5Ca) 97.926 µm in average diameter and 7099.090 µm ² in total area. Spire 4-pillared, about 67.521 µm high, 64.691 µm wide, with 3–4 cross-bars. Papillae and pedicels include perforated rods (Figures 5 Ab; 5Bb; 5Cb) as in the non-spotted morph, 265.026 µm in average length. Complete pedicel end plates (Figure 5 Cc) circular, average diameter 439.218 µm; oval end plates 197.766 µm in mean length and 84.328 µm in mean width. Cloaca (Figure 5D) presents dichotomously branched rods. Tentacle rods (Figure 5E) elongated (Figure 5 Ea), or arched (Figure 5 Ec), branched (Figure 5 Eb) and dichotomously branched rods (Figure 5 Ed). Remarks. Both spotted and non-spotted Parastichopus regalis individuals degrade very quickly if they are not immediately preserved in ethanol, after collection. The dermis rapidly disintegrates and the texture of the body becomes gelatinous, spreading out on the support on which the specimen is placed (Figure 4C). This reaction is probably due to the stress during fishing operation and/or exposure to light or change in pressure and/or temperature, since fished from waters more than 36 m deep. The ability to lose a piece of dermis from the body wall when in danger has been observed in many holothuroids (Kropp 1982). The use of formalin, although good for fixation, does not allow for better preservation because the body does not keep its original shape and the ossicles tend to corrode rapidly. Hence, alcohol is recommended although the bright red colour of the ventral surface as well as the dark spots on the dorsal surface (when present) do disappear. The thickness of the body wall can vary from one individual to another since the general texture of the body wall is very soft, thus not rigid enough to maintain the original form., Published as part of Khodja, Ihcene, Mezali, Karim & Thandar, Ahmed S., 2021, Multiple records and polymorphism of Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Stichopodidae) along the Algerian coast, pp. 549-562 in Zootaxa 5032 (4) on pages 554-556, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5032.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/5497117, {"references":["Cuvier, G. (1817) Le regne animal distribue d'apres son organisation, pour servir de base a l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction a l'anatomie comparee. Volume 2. Contenant les Reptiles, les Poissons, les Mollusques et les Annelides. Deterville, Paris, 528 pp.","Kropp, R. K. (1982) Responses of five holothurian species to attacks by a predatory gastropod, Tonna perdix. Pacific Science, 36 (4), 445 - 452."]}

The family Stichopodidae is represented in the Mediterranean Sea by the genus Parastichopus which includes two non-endemic species; Parastichopus tremulus (Gunnerus, 1767) and Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817). On the Algerian coast (southwestern Mediterranean Sea), two morphotypes of P. regalis were observed, one with dark spots on the dorsal surface and the other non-spotted. In total, 65 individuals of P. regalis were recorded from 22 stations along the Algerian coast during an oceanographic campaign. Twelve individuals (6 of each morphotype) were used for a comparative study of the morphological (including endoskeletal) characteristics. Table ossicles, the only ossicles of the body wall of the two morphotypes of P. regalis, are here compared with regard to the disk diameter of the tables and the total area of the surface of the disc. Statistical analysis did not show any significant differences between the spotted and the non-spotted morphotypes.

A new genus of Holothuroidea, Notostichopus, from Australia is described and its phylogenetic relationship examined. The new genus is based on two species within the family Stichopodidae, previously attributed to Stichopus. Notostichopus is characterized by the absence of rosette ossicles and the presence of table ossicles with at most one crossbeam in dorsal body wall. The two species revised here (N. ludwigi and N. ellipes) are distributed in the shallow, tropical, and temperate waters of Australia. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that this genus is closely related to the genera Isostichopus and Stichopus but is distinct based on ossicles and phylogenetic analyses. We describe the ossicle assemblages of both species.

The mitochondrial genome is widely used to study the molecular evolution of and perform phylogenetic analyses on animals. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Stichopus naso was sequenced. The mitogenome was 16,239 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). The genome composition showed positive AT-skew (0.023) and negative GC-skew (−0.158). The order of the mitochondrial genes was consistent with those from the Stichopus and Isostichopus species, whereas it was different from those of other species of Aspidochirotida. The phylogenetic analysis, based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs through the methods of Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML), indicated that S. naso has close relationships with S. horrens and S. monotuberculatus, and belongs to a member of Stichopodidae. Our study provides a reference mitogenome for further molecular evolution studies and phylogenetic research on sea cucumbers.

The red sea cucumber (RSC), Apostichopus japonicus, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Stichopodidae. It is widely distributed in China, Japan and Korea. Tumor necrosis factor- ${\alpha}$ ( $TNF-{\alpha}$ ) and Interferon ( $IFN-{\gamma}$ ) induce inflammatory cytokines such as Thymus ...

Sea cucumbers have been the subject of increased worldwide interest for scientific knowledge, sustainable use and conservation purposes. One family found in Karimunjawa National Park Area, Jepara was Stichopudidae. The present work was aimed to identify the species of Stichopudidae caught from the waters around Nyamuk Island, Karimunjawa National Park prior to sea ranching for their conservation. The samples were taken during 2018-2019 directly from fisher, processor, traders and wholesaler. By fisher, collections relied on free diving (in depth of 5-10 meters); diving with compressor (in depth of 10-25 meters) and all sea cucumbers were capture by hand. In the processors, the species were samples taken before being processed. They usually were gutted/un-gutted, boiled, smoked or brined. The identification was done through their morphological characters. There were eleven species found belonged to two genera (Stichopus and Thelenota), i.e. Stichopus horrens, S. pseudohorrens, S. naso, S. vastus, S. chloronatus, S. herrmanni, S. monotuberculatus, S. ocellatus, S. quadrifasciatus, Thelenota anax and T. ananas. All Stichopodid sea cucumber called as gamet or gamat by all stake holders of sea cucumber fisheries. With the increasing demand and good price of these species, the conservation effort, especially through sea ranching was urged to be done.

Our knowledge of the ecology and habitat of juveniles of many sea cucumber species is limited, due to their cryptic habitats and differing color and shape from adults. In the present study, a juvenile specimen of the sea cucumber Thelenota anax H. L. Clark, 1921, collected from 30 m at Rukan Reef, Okinawa, Japan, is described. We confirmed specific identity using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences. We show that the pseudotable ossicles in Thelenota are table ossicles, and document synallactid-like ossicles not previously recorded in the Stichopodidae.

Thirty-five new microsatellite loci from the sea cucumbers Holothurian scabra (Jaeger, 1833) and Apostichopus japonicas (Selenka, 1867) were screened and characterized using the method of magnetic bead enrichment. Of the twenty-four polymorphic loci tested, eighteen were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after a modified false discovery rate (B-Y FDR) correction, whereas six showed statistically significant deviations (CHS2 and CHS11: P

Madduppa H, Taurusman AA, Subhan B, Anggraini NP, Fadillah R, Tarman K. 2017. DNA barcoding reveals vulnerable and not evaluated species of sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea and Stichopodidae) from Kepulauan Seribu reefs, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 893-898. DNA Barcoding is a tool in the molecular taxonomy which allows a rapid and precise identification. This tool is needed to mitigate difficulties in identifying species of sea cucumbers in Indonesia. This study was conducted to reveal species diversity in sea cucumbers (Holothuridae and Stichopodidae), commonly harvested in the Kepulauan Seribu reefs, northern Jakarta, Indonesia, by using mitochondrial DNA. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using the Kimura-2 parameter with 1000 of bootstrap values. The genetic distance within and between species was investigated. Conservation and trade status of the species were determined using IUCN and CITES, respectively. DNA barcoding using mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) revealed 7 species from 96 samples, of which 4 species belonged to the Stichopodidae (Stichopus herrmanni, Stichopus ocellatus, Stichopus horrens, Stichopus monotuberculatus), and 3 species to the Holothuridae (Bohadschia bivittata, Actinopyga lecanora and Holothuria leucospilota). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the two families were separated with a high bootstrap value. The neighbor-joining tree supported the result of identification of the sea cucumber species. The ingroup haplotypes were clustered into four main clades. Stichopus herrmanni and S. ocellatus were identified as closely related, which matches their morphological characteristics. Bohadschia bivittata is the most distinct species from other species due to the formation of a separate clade in the phylogenetic tree. Stichopus. horrens and S. monotuberculatus were also identified as very closely related, which might explain the frequent morphological misidentification of both types. The conservation status determined one of the investigated species was categorized as vulnerable, one as least concern, one as not evaluated, and four species in data deficient. The population trend of S.s herrmanni was recorded to be decreasing, whereas it remained unknown for the other 6 species. Surprisingly, all identified species in this study were not evaluated yet by CITES. This study suggests that a proper field monitoring and the establishment of a valid list of commercial and scientific names for the sea cucumbers harvested in Kepulauan Seribu is necessary. This would be valuable for keeping trade records and managing and conserving the targeted sea cucumber species in the region.

Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) (Fig. 38) Reports for the Azores: Eostichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) — $ Wirtz & Debelius 2003: 263; Stichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) — $ Wirtz 2009: 48. Type locality: Mediterranean Sea. See: Tortonese (1965: 66–68, figs. 24, 25, as S. regalis). Occurrence: Mediterranean Sea and east Atlantic, from the British Islands south to Angola (Mortensen 1927a, Cherbonnier 1965), including the Azores (Wirtz & Debelius 2003), Madeira (Augier 1985) and Canaries (Perrier 1902); reported elsewhere in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico (Deichmann 1954). Depth: 5–800 m (Tortonese 1965), mostly at depths above 50 m (Ramón et al. 2010); AZO: 40–275 m (Wirtz & Debelius 2003, herein). Habitat: soft sediments (sand to mud; Tortonese 1965). Commercial value: edible (Ramón et al. 2010). Material examined: DBUA-ECH 386 (off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’30”N, 25°20’49”W, 2009.09. 24, 208 m; 1 spm, TL = 136 mm); DBUA-ECH 387 (off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’30”N, 25°20’49”W, 2009.09. 24, 208 m; 1 specimen, TL = 140 mm); DBUA-ECH 390 (off Praia da Amora, Ponta Garça, SMG, AZO, 37°42’31”N, 25°20’14”W, 2011.07. 15, 275 m; 1 specimen, TL = 185 mm). Description: Body dorsally arched but ventrally flattened, forming a distinct sole with numerous tube feet arranged in three rows (the central one divided in two). Lateral margin separating the ventral and dorsal surfaces of body with large papillae, which is continued anteriorly above the ventrally situated mouth. Ventral surface covered by well-developed conical papillae more or less arranged in longitudinal rows. Body wall relatively thick. Cuvierian tubules absent. Calcareous deposits mostly composed of tables and flattened rods. No buttons. Table disc relatively large, perforated (up to more than 60 holes decreasing in size towards the periphery) and with an irregular round edge; medium high tetrabasal spire with the rods connected by three to five sets of cross bars armed with lateral teeth at its distal part. Rods irregularly perforated. Colour: bivium brown to orange, papillae white or cream; sole with the outer row brown or orange slightly lighter than the bivium, inner double row orange or red. Colour (in ethanol): similar to the live colouration, except for the red and orange colours, which have turned to brown. Remarks: P. regalis is one of the recent additions to the Azores marine fauna. The absence of this species in the historical collections from the Azores could be explained by the species preferential depth range. The preferred depth spectrum of P. regalis was seldom studied in the archipelago, between the maximum scuba diving ( 150–250 m). Also, P. regalis appears to co-occur with Holothuria lentiginosa in the Azores, as both species were capture together among the material dredged off Ponta Garça in S„o Miguel Island (208–275 m depth) during the Third International Workshop of Malacology and Marine Biology. Though with similar colour patterns, these two species can be easily distinguished by the overall body shape, as P. regalis has a well-marked sole ventrally and numerous large white papillae forming a conspicuous lateral rim. In opposition, H. lentiginosa presents fewer dorsal or lateral papillae, which are either dyed dark or of same colour of body surface and is nearly cylindrical without distinct sole., Published as part of Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias & Ávila, Sérgio P., 2019, The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean), pp. 1-231 in Zootaxa 4639 (1) on page 159, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4639.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3342161, {"references":["Cuvier, G. (1817) Le regne animal distribe d'apres son organisation, pour servir de base a l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction a l'anatomie comparee. Vol. 2. Deterville, Paris, xviii + 528 pp.","Wirtz, P. & Debelius, H. (2003) Mediterranean and Atlantic invertebrate guide. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, 305 pp.","Wirtz, P. (2009) Ten new records of marine invertebrates from the Azores. Arquipelago, Life and Marine Sciences, 26, 45 - 49.","Tortonese, E. (1965) Fauna D'Italia-Echinodermata. Edizioni Calderini, Bologna, 422 pp.","Mortensen, T. (1927 a) Handbook of the echinoderms of the British Isles. Oxford University Press, viii + 471 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 6841","Cherbonnier, G. (1965) Holothurides. Expedition oceanographique belge dans les eaux cotieres africaines de l'Atlantique Sud (1948 - 1949): resultats scientifiques, Brussels, 3 (2), 1 - 23.","Augier, H. (1985) Premier contribution a l'etude et a la cartigraphe des biocenoses marines benthiques de l'ile de Madere. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (Hist. Nat.), 37 (168), 86 - 129.","Perrier, R. (1902) Holothuries. In: Expeditions Scientifiques du Travailleur et du Talisman pendant les Annees 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883. Ouvrage publie sous les auspices du ministere de l'instruction publique sous la direction de A. Milne-Edwards de 1888 a 1890 et continue par E. Perrier. Vol. 7. Masson et Cie, Editeurs, Paris, pp. 273 - 554.","Deichmann, E. (1954) The Holothurians of the Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of the U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 89, 381 - 410.","Ramon, M., Lleonartb, J. & Massutia, E. (2010) Royal cucumber (Stichopus regalis) in the northwestern Mediterranean: Distribution pattern and fishery. Fisheries Research, 105, 21 - 27. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. fishres. 2010.02.006"]}

Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias, Ávila, Sérgio P. (2019): The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean). Zootaxa 4639 (1): 1-231, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4639.1

Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) is essential for hosts defending against pathogen infections. In this study, two distinct A2Ms were identified from sea cucumbers Stichopus monotuberculatus and Holothuria atra, which belong to different genera in the Phylum Echinodermata, and named StmA2M and HaA2M, respectively. Structural analysis of StmA2M and HaA2M revealed that all contain the bait region domain, thioester domain, and receptor-binding domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that StmA2M and HaA2M all belong to the echinoderm A2Ms. The cleavage site RXXR and the catalytic histidine residue for complement component C3 were found in StmA2M and HaA2M. Compared with human A2M, the three-dimensional structures of StmA2M and HaA2M were more similar to that of common carp A2M. Both StmA2M and HaA2M showed the strongest response at transcriptional levels to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 12 h and polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid [Poly (I: C)] at 24 h, respectively. Activity of StmA2M showed the strongest response to Poly (I: C) at 6 h, while the strongest change of HaA2M activity was induced by LPS at 24 h. The differential mRNA expression and enzyme activity levels suggested that A2M in sea cucumbers might be involved in different immune responses to LPS or Poly (I: C) challenge.

The sea cucumber, Stichopus monotuberculatus, is an economically important holothuroid in China due to its larger body size and valuable nutrition. However, the taxonomic revision studies of Stichopodidae have been one of the most controversial issues in recent years. Moreover, there remain considerable doubts about a complex of cryptic species within S. monotuberculatus. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of S. monotuberculatus. The mitogenome has 16,274 base pairs (60.4% A + T content) and made up of total of 37 genes (13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNAs and 2 ribosomal RNAs), and a putative control region. This study adds one more available complete mitogenomes of Stichopus and will provide useful genetic information for future evolutionary and taxonomic classification of Stichopodidae.

The spatial and size-frequency distribution of the Japanese sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, in the Far Eastern State Marine Reserve and unprotected parts of Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan was studied using both SCUBA diving equipment and a remotely operated underwater SUB-fighter 3000 vehicle. The abundance of the Japanese sea cucumber and the pattern of its distribution over the southern part of the reserve were determined. It was found that the density of sea cucumber aggregations in the studied unprotected parts of Peter the Great Bay is not lower than that over the major portion of the reserve.

Family: Stichopodidae Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Apostichopus armatus (Selenka, 1867) Figs 1–5 Holothuria armata Selenka, 1867: 330, pl. XVIII, fig. 66; Lampert, 1885: 91. Stichopus armatus (Holothuria): Théel, 1886: 196 Stichopus (Holothuria) armatus: Mitsukuri, 1896: 408; Mitsukuri, 1912: 164 Stichopus japonicus var. typicus Théel, 1886: 161, pl. VIII, fig. 2. Apostichopus japonicus: Liao, 1980: 116, fig. 1; Sun et al., 2010: 280 –285. Apostichopus armata [sic]: Kuramochi & Naganuma, 2010: 50, figs 1[2a, 2b]–3 [the ossicles in figs 2 and 3 were erroneously given under the name ‘ A. japonicus ’ on the figures]. Type material examined. Syntype MCZ HOL –741, Hakodate, Japan. Additional materials examined. NSMT –E7045A, Tateyama Bay, Chiba, 21 April 2011; NSMT –E7047A, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7047F, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7047C, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7047E, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011. Type locality. Hakodate [misspelled as Hakodadi by Selenka (1867)], Japan. Description. Twenty peltate tentacles. Two rows of dorsal papillae, each arranged alternately in zig-zag pattern along dorso-lateral radius. Single row of conical papillae along each ventro-lateral radius. Numerous, loosely arranged, small papillae scattered on dorsal and lateral body. Ventral side flattened. Tube feet arranged in 5–6 rows in central ambulacral area, 4–5 rows in both lateral ambulacral areas. Interambulacra narrow. Oral opening subventral, surrounded by ring of small papillae. Dorsal and ventral body surfaces uniformly light green to yellowish in alcohol. Gonads in two tufts; one on each side of dorsal mesentery. Free-hanging tentacular ampullae 20 in number. Polian vesicle single, in various shapes and forms. Intestine connected to dorsal mesentery with rete mirabile. Dorsal body wall with tables. Disk of tables rounded to oval in shape with 2–16 irregular perforations; rim of disk spinous or smooth (Fig. 2A–E). Pillar of reduced tables entirely absent or forming only a knob (Fig. 2C). Tables usually having four pillars; tip of each pillar often branched into multiple spines (Fig. 2A). Papillae containing multiperforated plates, tables, rods and elongated buttons. Multiperforated plates in papillae with numerous irregular perforations; rim uneven (Fig. 3E–F). Tables in papillae similar to those in dorsal body; pillars absent or forming knobs; rim spinous (Fig. 3A); mostly four pillars present, each having single spine on tip (Fig. 3B–C). Elongated buttons in papillae having two parallel longitudinal rows, each with 7–13 perforations (Fig. 3D). Rods in papillae variable in shape from straight to curved; surface of curved rods smooth (Fig. 3G), surface of straight rods spinous (Fig. 3H). Tentacles containing rods; curved (Fig. 4A–B); surface covered with spinelets. Tube feet containing multiperforated plates (Fig. 5A–B). Cloacal wall containing oval to rounded complex plates; surface very spinous surface. Distribution. Shallow temperate waters in the coasts of China, Japan, Korea and Russia. Northern distribution limit at Sakhalin Island, Russia and Southern limit in the Kagoshima prefecture in Japan (see Zhao 2015). Remarks. Reduced tables are the dominant spicules in the dorsal body wall of A. armatus. They are similar to the spicules found in the type material of H. armata in which Selenka (1867) described as “Spärlich durchlöcherte plättchen” [sic] or sparsely perforated plates which he compared to the spicules found in Holothuria (Halodeima) floridana (Pourtalès, 1851) (Selenka 1867: fig. 49). However, Selenka (1867) did not include the details of both the rims in the platelet spicules, and figures for the spicules from the type material. It is unfortunate that we are also unable to determine the spicules from the type material in this study because they appeared to be absent or completely dissolved. Incidentally, Selenka’s (1867) H. armata is “schwarz” (black) coloured, which is clearly still visible upon examining the specimen (Fig. 1), which now forms part of the diagnosis for A. armatus. Apostichopus armatus can be differentiated from A. japonicus by the absence of reduced table spicules with spinous rim in A. japonicus. Similar spinous reduced table spicules are also clearly illustrated in S. j. var. typicus by Théel (1886: pl. 8, fig. 2), S. japonicus in Liao (1980: fig. 1), and A. armata in Kuramochi and Naganuma (2010: fig. 2), which all represents A. armatus. Although some reduced tables with smooth rim (similar to those found in the dorsal body of A. japonicus) are also present in A. armatus, they are only present in small amount compared to the dominant number of spinous ones. Spicules from the papillae, tentacles and tube feet are similar to those of A. japonicus., Published as part of Woo, Sau Pinn, Ogawa, Akito, Tan, Shau Hwai, Yasin, Zulfigar, Kajihara, Hiroshi & Fujita, Toshihiko, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the genus Apostichopus (Holothuroidea: Stichopodidae) from Japan, pp. 121-135 in Zootaxa 4350 (1) on pages 123-127, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4350.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1050945, {"references":["Selenka, E. (1867) Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien. Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 17, 291 - 372. [in German]","Lampert, K. (1885) Die Seewalzen, Holothurioidea, eine systematische Monographie mit Bestimmungs- und Verbreitungstabellen. In: Semper, C. (Ed.), Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen, Zweiter Theil, Wissenschaftliche Resultate 4 (3). CW Kreidel, Wiesbaden, pp. 151 - 312. [in German]","Theel, H. (1886) Reports on the Holothurioidea dredged by H. M. S. Challenver during the years 1873 - 76. Part 2. Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyages of H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873 - 76, Zoology, 39, 160 - 162.","Mitsukuri, K. (1896) A list of holothurians known to occur in Japan. Zoological Magazine, 8, 405 - 413. [in Japanese]","Mitsukuri, K. (1912) Studies on actinopodous Holothurioidea. Journal College Science, Tokyo Imperial University, 29 (2), 163. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 37880","Liao, Y. (1980) The aspidochirote holothurians of China with erection of a new genus. In: Jangoux, M. (Ed.), Echinoderms - Present and Past. Proceedings of the European Colloquium on Echinoderms. Balkema Press, Rotterdam, pp. 115 - 117.","Sun, X., Li, Q. & Kong, L. (2010) Comparative mitochondrial genomics within sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus): provide new insights into relationships among color variants. Aquaculture, 309, 280 - 285. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. aquaculture. 2010.08.001","Kuramochi, T. & Naganuma, T. (2010) Reclassification of the Apostichopus holothurians from Sagami Bay, central Japan. Biosphere Science, 49, 49 - 54. [in Japanese]","Zhao, H. (2015) Taxonomy and identification: distribution. In: Yang, H., Hamel, F. & Mercier, A. (Eds.), The Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: History, Biology and Aquaculture. Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, 39, pp. 46 - 49.","Pourtales, L. F. (1851) On the Holothuriae of the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fifth Meeting, Washington, 1858, 8 - 16."]}

Complete redescriptions of sea cucumbers in the genus Apostichopus Liao, 1980 are provided using the type specimens and specimens deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan. The genus consists of A. armatus (Selenka, 1867) and A. japonicus (Selenka, 1867), which can be distinguished by some spicules in the dorsal body wall; the rim of reduced table spicules in A. armatus is spinous, while that in A. japonicus is smooth. Spicules from the tentacles, papillae, tube feet, and cloaca are similar for both species.

Genus Apostichopus Liao, 1980 Type species. Stichopus japonicus Selenka, 1867 (but see Remarks below). Type locality. Japan Diagnosis. Mouth ventral, surrounded by twenty peltate-shaped tentacles. Body stout and cylindrical. Conical papillae conspicuous or less conspicuous, protruding at dorsal and lateral sides of body; similar conical papillae arranged in one line at ventro-lateral sides; smaller papillae scattered on dorsal and lateral surfaces. Background body colour highly variable from red to brown and green to black. Gonads in two tufts. Spicules taking form of tables, buttons, multiperforated plates, rods, and complex plates. Dorsal body-wall spicules composed of tables; often reduced with pillars absent, but simple and not spinous if present; rims smooth or spinous. Dorsal body wall of juvenile contains tables with four spires, each having multiple spines on its end, with two to three crossbeams. Rosette and C-shaped spicules absent in dorsal body wall of both adult and juveniles. Papillae containing elongated buttons, rods, tables, and multiperforated plates. Rods in tentacles. Ventral tube feet containing multiperforated plates and tables, the latter without pillars. Spinous complex plates present in cloacal walls both in adult and juvenile. Species composition. Apostichopus armatus (Selenka, 1867); Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867) (see Remarks). Remarks. Liao (1980) erected this genus based on material from the northern East China Sea that was identified as Apostichopus japonicus. Judging from the drawings of the spicules, Liao’s (1980) material was most likely to represent Apostichopus armatus (Liao 1980: fig. 1), to which Article 70.3 (Misidentified type species) of the Code (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999) applies. In order to serve stability and universality of the name, we take the option stipulated under Article 70.3.1, in which the nominal species previously cited as the type species is to be retained, because alteration of the type species will not affect the genus name usage. The diagnosis for Apostichopus given by Liao (1980) sufficiently illustrated clear separation of Apostichopus from other genera based on reduced table spicules without pillars in the body wall (Liao 1980: fig. 1). The absence of C-shaped spicules and the presence of reduced table spicules in the dorsal body of Apostichopus differentiate it from the genera Stichopus and Isostichopus Deichmann, 1958, which have abundant C-shaped spicules and no reduced table in the dorsal body (Clark 1922; Deichmann 1958). The genus Apostichopus also can be easily distinguished from the genera Thelenota Brandt, 1835 and Astichopus Clark, 1922 by the presence of table spicules that are absent in the dorsal body of the two genera (Clark 1922). Complex plates in the cloacal walls and elongated buttons in the papillae are observed in Apostichopus (Théel 1886; Liao 1980) and Parastichopus Clark, 1922 (Clark 1922; Lambert 1986). The well-developed table spicules with complete spires in the dorsal body of Parastichopus are absent in adult Apostichopus (body length greater than 70 mm) (Mitsukuri 1897). Furthermore, Apostichopus can be found from the intertidal zone to the depth of about 20‒40 m (Zhao 2015), while Parastichopus is distributed only in deeper waters from 30 m down to the depth of 600 m (Deichmann 1937; Lambert 1986; Imaoka et al. 1990). We only included two species in the species list of Apostichopus. This is contrary to the inclusion of Parastichopus californicus (Stimpson, 1857), Stichopus johnsoni Théel 1886, Parastichopus leukhothele Lambert, 1986, Parastichopus multidentis Imaoka, 1991, Stichopus nigripunctatus Augustin, 1908, Parastichopus nipponensis Imaoka, 1990 (synonym of P. nigripunctatus) and Stichopus parvimensis Clark, 1913 by Paulay (2013) as part of the species list in Apostichopus. The inclusion is deemed invalid because the nomenclatural act of transferring these species to the genus Apostichopus did not fulfil the requirements of Article 8 (What constitutes published work) of the Code (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999)., Published as part of Woo, Sau Pinn, Ogawa, Akito, Tan, Shau Hwai, Yasin, Zulfigar, Kajihara, Hiroshi & Fujita, Toshihiko, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the genus Apostichopus (Holothuroidea: Stichopodidae) from Japan, pp. 121-135 in Zootaxa 4350 (1) on pages 122-123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4350.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1050945, {"references":["Liao, Y. (1980) The aspidochirote holothurians of China with erection of a new genus. In: Jangoux, M. (Ed.), Echinoderms - Present and Past. Proceedings of the European Colloquium on Echinoderms. Balkema Press, Rotterdam, pp. 115 - 117.","Selenka, E. (1867) Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien. Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 17, 291 - 372. [in German]","International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (1999) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature Fourth Edition. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London, 306 pp.","Deichmann, E. (1958) The Holothurioidea collected by the Velero III and IV during the years 1932 to 1954 part II. Aspidochirota. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions, 11 (2), 253 - 349.","Clark, H. L. (1922) The holothurian of the genus Stichopus. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 65 (3), 39 - 74.","Theel, H. (1886) Reports on the Holothurioidea dredged by H. M. S. Challenver during the years 1873 - 76. Part 2. Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyages of H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873 - 76, Zoology, 39, 160 - 162.","Lambert, P. (1986) Northeast Pacific holothurians of the genus Parastichopus with a description of a new species, Parastichopus leukothele (Echinodermata). Canadian Journal Zoology, 64, 2266 - 2272. https: // doi. org / 10.1139 / z 86 - 340","Mitsukuri, K. (1897) On changes which are found with advancing age in the calcareous deposits of Stichopus japonicus, Selenka. Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses, 1, 31 - 42.","Zhao, H. (2015) Taxonomy and identification: distribution. In: Yang, H., Hamel, F. & Mercier, A. (Eds.), The Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: History, Biology and Aquaculture. Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, 39, pp. 46 - 49.","Deichmann, E. (1937) The Templeton Crocker Expedition. IX. Holothurians from the Gulf of California, the West Coast of Lower California and Clarion Island. Zoologica: Scientific Contributions of the New York Zoological Society, 22 (10), 161 - 176.","Imaoka, T., Irimura, S., Okutani, T., Oguro, C., Oji, T., Shigei, M. & Horikawa, H. (1990) Echinoderms from Continental Shelf and Slope around Japan Vol. I. Japan Fisheries Resource Conservation Association, Tokyo, pp. 135 - 140.","Stimpson, W. (1857) The Crustacea and Echinodermata of the Pacific shores of North America. H. O. Houghton and Company, Riverside, Cambridge, pp. 92.","Imaoka, T., Irimura, S., Okutani, T., Oguro, C., Oji, T. & Kanazawa, K. (1991) Echinoderms from Continental Shelf and Slope around Japan. Vol. II. Japan Fisheries Resource Conservation Association, Tokyo, pp. 190 - 195.","Augustin, E. (1908) Uber japanische Seewalzen. In: Doflein, F. (Ed.), Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte Ostasiens. Abhandlungen der Mathematisch - Physikalischen Klasse der Koniglich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Supplement 2 (1). Lindauer'schen Hofbuchdruckerei, Munchen, pp. 1 - 45. [in German]","Clark, H. L. (1913) Scientific results of the expedition to the Gulf of California in charge of C. H. Townsend, by the U. S. Fisheries steamship ' Albatross' in 1911. No. 5. Echinoderms from lower California, with descriptions of new species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 32 (8), 185 - 236. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 16360","Paulay, G. (2013) Apostichopus. World Register of Marine Species. Available from: http: // www. marinespecies. org / aphia. php? p = taxdetails & id = 241373 / (accessed 13 June 2017)"]}

Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867) Figs 6–13 Stichopus japonicus Selenka, 1867: 318, pl. 18, figs 33–36; Semper, 1868: 74; von Marenzeller, 1882: 136 –137, taf V, fig 11; Théel, 1886: 160, pl. VII, fig. 3; Mitsukuri 1896: 408; Augustin, 1908: 6 –7, fig. 4; Mitsukuri, 1912: 163, pl. 4, figs 32–44; Ohshima, 1915: 247 –248; Clark, 1922: 61; Choe & Ohshima, 1961: 97 –105; Levin, 1983:1 –45, figs 1–12. Stichopus japonicus typicus Théel, 1886: 196. Stichopus (Apostichopus) japonicus – Kanno et al., 2006: 672 –685. Apostichopus japonicus – Kuramochi & Naganuma, 2010: 49 –54, fig. 1a, 1b, 2. Stichopus roseus Augustin, 1908: 13 –14, fig. 10. Type material examined. Syntype MCZ HOL –763, Northwest Pacific Ocean, Japan. Additional materials examined. NSMT –E3673, Fukue Island, Nagasaki, 14 March 1998, T. Fujita; NSMT – 7045A, Tateyama Bay, Chiba, 21 April 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7046A, Futtsu, Chiba,4 29 June 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7046C, Futtsu, Chiba, 29 June 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7047B, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7047D, Aburatsubo Bay, Kanagawa, 10 July 2011, Y. Tamura; NSMT –E7048, Uchiura Bay, Kanagawa, K. Yakiguchi, 28 September 2011; NSMT –10122A-E, 5 specimens, Takeoka, Futtsu, Chiba, K. Kawata & A. Ogawa, 24 December 2014. Type locality. Japan. Descriptions. Twenty peltate tentacles. Two rows of dorsal papillae, each arranged alternately in zig-zag pattern along the dorso-lateral radii. Single row of conical papillae along each ventor-lateral radius. Similar conical papillae, but larger, arranged single row at both ventro-lateral radii. Numerous, loosely arranged, small papillae scattered on dorsal and lateral body. Ventral side flattened. Tube feet arranged in 5–6 rows in central ambulacral area; 4–5 rows in both lateral ambulacra areas. Interambulcra narrow. Mouth subventral, surrounded by a ring of small papillae. Background body colour in alcohol dark reddish brown on dorsal, lighter brown on both lateral and ventral body. Gonads in two tufts; one each side of dorsal mesentery. Twenty free-hanging tentacular ampullae. Polian vesicle single, in various shapes and forms. Intestine connected to dorsal mesentery with rete mirabile. Dorsal body wall containing tables. Tables in dorsal body wall of adult reduced, pillars absent (Figs. 7, 8). Disk of table oval to round in shape with smooth rims; 2–14 irregular perforations on disk. Tables in dorsal body of juvenile with four pillars; single spine at tip of each pillar. Papillae containing multiperforated plates, reduced tables, rods, and elongated buttons. Multiperforated plates in papillae with four central perforation and numerous peripheral perforations; rim of uneven (Fig. 9A–D). Reduced tables in papillae similar to those in dorsal body (Fig. 9E), size larger and more perforations (2–14 perforations); rims smooth to uneven, but not spinous. Elongated buttons in papillae having two longitudinal rows of 5–11 perforations (Fig. 10A). Rods in papillae straight to curved; surface spinous (Fig. 10B). Rods in tentacles curved; surface covered with multiple spinelets (Fig. 11A–C). Tube feet with multiperforated plates (Fig. 12). Cloacal wall containing oval to rounded complex plates; surface very spinous and knobby (Fig. 13). Distribution. Shallow temperate waters in the coasts of China, Japan, Korea and Russia. Northern distribution limit at Sakhalin Island, Russia and Southern limit in the Kagoshima prefecture in Japan (see Zhao 2015) Remarks. The reduced table spicules of other materials examined in the dorsal body are similar to the spicules named “hemmungsbildungen” meaning table spicules reduced to the ring in Selenka (1876: pl. 18, fig. 36). The most contrasting difference between A. japonicus and A. armatus can be seen in the rims of reduced tables found on the dorsal body. The reduced tables have only smooth and non-spinous rims in A. japonicus compared to spinous disk rim tables in A. armatus. Observations on the reduced table spicules of type material using SEM (Fig. 7) confirms that the rims of reduced table spicules in the dorsal body are smooth and non-spinous. Kuramochi & Naganuma (2010) also observed similar characters at rim of tables in materials they examined. Although the figures of reduced tables of A. japonicus observed under compound microscope in Kuramochi & Naganuma (2010: fig. 2) showed that the rim of disks in tables appear to be spinous, greater resolution observation using scanning electron microscope in this study revealed that the rim on the disks of the reduced tables are merely undulating on the rims but do not form spines., Published as part of Woo, Sau Pinn, Ogawa, Akito, Tan, Shau Hwai, Yasin, Zulfigar, Kajihara, Hiroshi & Fujita, Toshihiko, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the genus Apostichopus (Holothuroidea: Stichopodidae) from Japan, pp. 121-135 in Zootaxa 4350 (1) on pages 127-130, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4350.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1050945, {"references":["Selenka, E. (1867) Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien. Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 17, 291 - 372. [in German]","Semper, C. (1868) Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen, zweiter Theil, wissenschaftliche Resultate, erster Band, Holothurien. W. Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 288. [in German]","Marenzeller, E. V. (1882) Neue Holothurien von Japan und China. Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 31, 121 - 140. [in German] https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 20315","Theel, H. (1886) Reports on the Holothurioidea dredged by H. M. S. Challenver during the years 1873 - 76. Part 2. Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyages of H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873 - 76, Zoology, 39, 160 - 162.","Mitsukuri, K. (1896) A list of holothurians known to occur in Japan. Zoological Magazine, 8, 405 - 413. [in Japanese]","Augustin, E. (1908) Uber japanische Seewalzen. In: Doflein, F. (Ed.), Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte Ostasiens. Abhandlungen der Mathematisch - Physikalischen Klasse der Koniglich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Supplement 2 (1). Lindauer'schen Hofbuchdruckerei, Munchen, pp. 1 - 45. [in German]","Mitsukuri, K. (1912) Studies on actinopodous Holothurioidea. Journal College Science, Tokyo Imperial University, 29 (2), 163. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 37880","Ohshima, H. (1915) Report of the holothurians collected by the United States Fisheries Steamer Albatross in the Northwestern Pacific during the summer of 1906. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 48, 213 - 291. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 00963801.48 - 2073.213","Clark, H. L. (1922) The holothurian of the genus Stichopus. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 65 (3), 39 - 74.","Choe, S. & Ohshima, Y. (1961) On the morphological and ecological differences between two commercial forms, \" green \" and \" red \", of the Japanese common sea cucumber, Stichopus japonicus Selenka. Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries, 27 (2), 97 - 106. [in Japanese] https: // doi. org / 10.2331 / suisan. 27.97","Levin, V. S. (1983) Japanese Sea Cucumber. USSR Academy of Science, Vladivostok, pp. 7 - 30. [in Russian]","Kanno, M., Suyama, Y., Li, Q. & Kijima, A. (2006) Microsatellite analysis of Japanese sea cucumber, Stichopus (Apostichopus) japonicus, supports reproductive isolation in color variants. Marine Biotechnology, 8, 672 - 685. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 10126 - 006 - 6014 - 8","Kuramochi, T. & Naganuma, T. (2010) Reclassification of the Apostichopus holothurians from Sagami Bay, central Japan. Biosphere Science, 49, 49 - 54. [in Japanese]","Zhao, H. (2015) Taxonomy and identification: distribution. In: Yang, H., Hamel, F. & Mercier, A. (Eds.), The Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: History, Biology and Aquaculture. Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, 39, pp. 46 - 49."]}

The "tubule recruitment model" for the development of the holothurian gonad was proposed (a) to connect the stages of oogenesis with ovarian morphology in holothurians throughout the reproductive season and (b) to emphasize the potential for the holothurian ovary as a model system for cytological and biochemical study of echinoderm oogenesis. To reassess the evidence for this model, we have examined published accounts and unpublished observations on gonad development in holothurians from both temperate and tropical habitats, in shallow water and in the deep sea. A very limited number of species were found to conform to the predictions of the tubule recruitment model. The patterns of gonad development vary substantially in holothurians, even at the individual level, and with taxonomic position, geographical location, and habitat. The tubule recruitment model can be applied to only a small subset of holothurians, specifically those in the families Stichopodidae and Holothuriidae that have gonad morphology similar to that of Parastichopus californicus. However, the tubule recruitment model is invalid for many other aspidochirotes, and does not have wider applicability within the class Holothuroidea.

Using various chromatographic separations, three triterpene tetraglycosides (1–3), including one new compound, namely stichorrenoside E (1) along with thelenotoside B (2) and deacetyl thelenotoside B (3), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the Vietnamese sea cucumber Stichopus horrens. Their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic experiments, such as 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Deacetylated thelenotoside B (3) is firstly isolated as a natural product. Among these compounds, thelenotoside B (2) showed strong cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines as HepG2, KB, LNCaP, MCF7 and SK-Mel2 with the IC50 values from 0.95 ± 0.08 to 1.90 ± 0.13 μM, whereas stichorrenoside E (1) and deacetyl thelenotoside B (3) exhibited significant activities with the IC50 values from 6.87 ± 0.25 to 11.62 ± 1.05 μM.

Stichopus herrmanni Semper, 1868 (Fig. 10 A ��� C) Stichopus variegatus Herrmanni Semper, 1868: 73, pls 17, 30, fig. 2. Stichopus herrmanni; Massin, 1999: 63, 64 fig. 52 (synonymy). Material examined. Non-type material: IE-2007-755 (1 specimen (skin fragment only), sampled North of Cape Saint-Andr��). Remarks. Stichopus herrmanni Semper, 1868 is a littoral species with as bathymetric distribution 0 ��� 20 m (Lane et al., 2000). The present sample was taken from an individual sampled in the intertidal., Published as part of Samyn, Yves & Vandenspiegel, Didier, 2016, Sublittoral and bathyal sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from the Northern Mozambique Channel with description of six new species, pp. 451-497 in Zootaxa 4196 (4) on page 469, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4196.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/168273, {"references":["Lane, D. J. W., Marsh, L. M., Rowe, F. W. E. & VandenSpiegel, D. (2000). Echinoderm fauna of the South China Sea: an inventory and analysis of distribution patterns. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement, 8, 459 - 493."]}

Stichopus sp. Material examined. Northwest Western Australia, Kimberley Region, Camden Sound, Montgomery Island reef flat, barcode 10003037, 24 Mar 2015, WAM Z89009 (1); barcode 10003038, 24 Mar 2015, WAM Z89010 (1). Remarks. The taxonomy of Stichopus is challenging today. Based on the living appearance of this animal it could represent Stichopus horrens Selenka, 1867, or a specimen in the S. monotuberculatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) or S. herrmanni Semper, 1868 species complexes. Specimens from NW Australia identified by Mark O’Loughlin previously as Stichopus herrmanni are now revised to “ Stichopus unresolved species complex”., Published as part of O'Loughlin, P. Mark, Harding 1, Caroline & Paulay, Gustav, 2016, The sea cucumbers of Camden Sound in northwest Australia, including four new species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), pp. 7-52 in Memoirs of Museum Victoria 75 on page 14, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2016.75.02, http://zenodo.org/record/8075992, {"references":["Selenka, E. 1867. Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Holothurien. Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaftliche Zoologie 17 (2): 291 - 374, pls 17 - 20.","Quoy, J. R. C. & Gaimard, J. P. 1834. Holothuries. Pp 108 - 133 in: Voyage de la corvette de l'Astrolabe. Execute par ordre du roi pendant les annees 1826 - 1829 sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville - Zoologie: Zoophytes. 390 pp, 26 pls. J. Tastu, Paris."]}

O'Loughlin, P. Mark, Harding1, Caroline, Paulay, Gustav (2016): The sea cucumbers of Camden Sound in northwest Australia, including four new species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 75: 7-52, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2016.75.02

A study on the distribution and diversity of sea cucumbers in the coral reefs of the South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Sulawesi Sea was carried out in July 2009. The survey was done using wandering transect underwater with SCUBA. Twelve species of sea cucumber were found from four different families and nine genera. The most dominant family was Holothuriidae (five species), followed by Stichopodidae (three species), Synaptidae (three species) and Cucumariidae with only one species. The most dominant species found around the island was Pearsonothuria graffei, which can be found abundantly on substrate of dead corals in a wide range of depth (6–15 m). The Sulawesi Sea showed a higher diversity of sea cucumber with seven different species compared to the South China Sea with only six different species and Sulu Sea with only two species. Ordination by multidimensional scaling of Bray–Curtis similarities clustered the sampling locations to three main clusters with two outgroups. Previous studies done indicated a higher diversity of sea cucumber as compared to this study. This can be indication that the population and diversity of sea cucumbers in the reef is under threat.

The objective of this study was to generate information for the development of Isostichopus badionotus culture protocols by determining optimal spawning methods, egg production, length and duration of larval stages, and larval habitat settlement preferences. Studies performed during the spawning seasons of 2010 and 2011 showed that this organism spawns between July and November without mechanical or chemical induction. The larval development has five well-defined stages: early, mid and late auricularia, doliolaria, and pentactula. Juveniles (654.3μm length) were obtained on average 25 days after fertilization (DAF), when larvae were incubated at 25± 1 C. No preference was observed for any of the materials used for settlement of the larvae. The easy adaptation of I. badionotus to the culture conditions and the competence of the larvae to complete metamorphosis while feeding solely on microalgae concentrates make this species an excellent candidate for farming. However, it is necessary to continue designing techniques for larval culture and to establish appropriate captivity conditions that allow multiannual reproduction. The high demand in Asian countries for sea cucumbers and their products has led to their overexploitation worldwide, particularly in lowincome countries (Purcell et al. 2011). This situation is similar in America, as overfishing of the sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus (Ludwig) in the East Pacific has brought the populations down to critical levels in both Ecuador and Mexico (Toral-Granda 2008), while in recent years, the four-sided sea cucumber, Isostichopus badionotus (Selenka), has been subject to an intense fishery in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Caribbean islands, and Central American countries. For this reason, in 2011, the Government of Mexico established a closure period for this species from May 21 to December 31 (DOF 2011). This situation has required that protective actions be taken, including precautionary fishery management and evaluation of the possible culture of I. badionotus . Furthermore, there is an interest in understanding the 1 Corresponding author. reproductive biology of these organisms as a first step in the implementation of technologies for the establishment of sea farms in the area. Isostichopus badionotus is an epibenthic, sediment-feeding holothurian belonging to the family Stichopodidae. It is localized primarily not only in areas with sea grass but can also be found in coral reefs (Guzman and Guevara 2002). This species can be found off the Western Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Brazil, including the Antilles, and in Sao Tome and the Gulf of Guinea in the Eastern Atlantic (Miller and Pawson 1984). Guzman et al. (2003) described I. badionotus as a gonocoric organism without external sexual dimorphism. The sex ratio of the populations in the fishing areas is usually 1:1, composed mainly of sexually mature organisms, indicating reproductive aggregations; consequently, the fisheries have a direct effect on reproductive sea cucumbers. Similar to other tropical holothurians, the reproductive cycle of l. badionotus is characterized by spawning in © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 2013

Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates of the phylum of Echinodermata that have been used in Asian traditional medicine since ancient times. This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of aqueous and organic extracts from two sea cucumber species, Holothuria edulis Lesson (Holothuriidae) and Stichopus horrens Selenka (Stichopodidae). Antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by DPPH· and β-carotene bleaching assays, while MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays were used to demonstrate the cytotoxic effects of the extracts against two human cancer cell lines, non-small cell lung cancer cells (A549) and esophageal cancer cells (TE1). The results showed that both aqueous and organic extracts of H. edulis were able to scavenge DPH radical (IC50 at 2.04 mg/ml and 8.73 mg/ml, respectively). Aqueous and organic extracts of S. horrens inhibited 79.62% and 46.66% of β-carotene oxidation by linoleate free radical. On the other hand, the organic extract of S. horrens exhibited the highest cytotoxic effects against A549 and TE1 cancer cells giving IC50 at 15.5 and 4.0 μg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, the present study revealed that H. edulis and S. horrens contain promising levels of antioxidant and cytotoxic natural products that might be used for cancer prevention and treatment.

The 2009 expedition with the research vessel Miriky sampled the sublittoral and bathyal waters of the northern Mozambique Channel. This exploration campaign resulted in a small, but very diverse collection of holothuroids comprising 174 specimens representing 31 species, 18 genera, 10 families and 5 orders. Of these species, many were hitherto unknown for Madagascar or even for the Indian Ocean, and six, Bathyplotes aymeric sp. nov., Holothuria (Cystipus) yann sp. nov., Holothuria (Stauropora) bo sp. nov., Holothuria (Metriatyla) alex sp. nov., Holothuria (Theelothuria) cyrielle sp.nov., Molpadia thandari sp. nov., are new to science. Molpadia lenticulum (Cherbonnier & Féral, 1981) is a new combination. This contribution provides an illustrated and annotated overview of the poorly known, highly biodiverse, sublittoral and bathyal sea cucumber fauna of the northern Mozambique Channel. Our findings demonstrate how ignorant we are about the poorly explored habitats of our planet and therefore stress the urgent need for more explorations to such regions.

The economic value of Apostichopus japonicus products is primarily determined by their dorsal/ventral color variation (red, green, or black), yet the taxonomic relationships between these color variants are not clearly understood. By performing numerous phylogenetic analyses of the Stichopodidae family, based on nucleotide sequence comparisons of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 16S rRNA gene sequences, we observed that these three color variants exhibit very low levels of sequence divergence and are not monophyletic. In this paper, we propose that the different dorsal/ventral color types of A. japonicus belong to a single species.

The aquaculture of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) has grown rapidly during recent years and has become an important sector of the marine industry in Northern China. However, with the rapid growth of the industry and the use of non-standard culture techniques, epidemic diseases of A. japonicus now pose increasing problems to the industry. To screen the genes with stress response to bacterial infection in sea cucumber at a genome wide level, we constructed a cDNA library from A. japonicus Selenka (Aspidochirotida: Stichopodidae) after infecting them with Vibrio sp. for 48 h. Total RNA was extracted from the intestine, mesentery and coelomocyte of infected sea cucumber using Trizol and mRNA was isolated by Oligotex mRNA Kits. The ligated cDNAs were transformed into DH5α, and a library of 3.24×105 clones (3.24×105 cfu mL−1) was obtained with the sizes of inserted fragments ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 kb. Sequencing the cDNA clones resulted in a total of 1106 ESTs that passed the quality control. BlastX and BlastN searches have identified 168 (31.5%) ESTs sharing significant homology with known sequences in NCBI protein or nucleotide databases. Among a panel of 25 putative immunity-related genes, serum lectin isoform, complement component 3, complement component 3-like genes were further studied by real-time PCR and they all increased more than 5 fold in response to Vibrio sp. challenge. Our library provides a valuable molecular tool for future study of invertebrate immunity against bacterial infection and our gene expression data indicates the importance of the immune system in the evolution and development of sea cucumber.

Five sea cucumber species including one new species of the genus Stichopus are reported from the shallow coral reefs of Straits of Malacca. The new species Stichopus fusiformiossa has unusual fusiform spicules in the tentacles, which are not found in the other species of the genus. Pseudo-tables and large perforated plates are newly recorded for Stichopus hermanni Semper, 1868 and Stichopus vastus Sluiter, 1887, respectively.

Stichopus hermanni and Stichopus vastus are sea cucumber species from the Stichopodidae family within the coastal waters of Malaysia. The integument of these invertebrates is hypothesised to contain abundant glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). GAGs are divided into non-sulphated and sulphated GAGs. Sulphated GAGs have various chemico-biological functions that are beneficial to humans. This study quantitatively analysed N-, O-sulphated and total sulphated GAG content from three different anatomical regions (integument, internal organs and coelomic fluid) of S. hermanni and S. vastus. The integument revealed the highest content of total, O- and N-sulphated GAGs, followed by the internal organs and the coelomic fluid for both species of sea cucumbers. The percentage division of O- and N-sulphated GAGs suggested that anatomical parts of both species showed higher levels of O-sulphated GAGs compared to N-sulphated GAGs. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the integument body wall of S. hermanni and S. vastus is a rich source of sulphated GAGs.

The complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from Stichopus sp. (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Stichopodidae: Stichopus) was acquired using conventional PCR and long PCR followed by cloning and sequencing. The mtDNA is a circular molecule of 16 similar to 257 similar to bp in length, containing the set of 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes. The plus strand consists of 30.9% A, 23.7% C, 16.0% G and 29.3% T bases (AT skew similar to=similar to 0.027; GC skew similar to=similar to-0.194). All 13 PCGs encode a total of 3782 amino acids and all 22 tRNA genes were predicted to be capable of folding into a clover-leaf secondary structure. Intergenetic regions in the mitochondrial genome of Stichopus sp. contain 903 similar to bp in total, with the largest continuous region (674 similar to bp, AT%similar to=similar to 58.6) between tRNA-Thr and tRNA-Pro. Analysis of phylogenetic relationship of family Stichopodidae and genetic distances (species among the family Stichopodidae and species within Stichopus monotuberculatus group) based on the partial cox1 sequence demonstrates that Stichopus sp. from the South China Sea is a member of S. monotuberculatus complex.

Present study was carried out at the major landing sites at Kalpitiya and Mannar in the North Western coastal region of Sri Lanka from October 2002 to April 2003. A total of 16 sea cucumber species belong to the Order Aspidochirotida were identified. Of these, 12 species belonged to Family Holothuridae and four to Family Stichopodidae. Holothuria scabra and H. spinifera were found to be restricted to the Mannar area whilst H. fuscogilva, H. nobilis, Actinopyga echinites, Bohadschia argus, B. marmorata, unidentified Bohadschia sp, Thelenota ananas and T. anax were recorded only in the Kalpitiya area. H. atra, H. edulis, A. miliaris, A. mauritiania and Stichopus chloronotus were found in both areas but these species were not very frequent in catches. Sea cucumbers were harvested by fishers through diving and hand picking. Total catch and effort in the two areas showed marked differences. In Kalpitiya area B. marmorata was dominant in catches while in Mannar H. scabra was dominant. During the period of survey, the highest estimated catch was recorded in March 2003 in Kalpitiya area (22,692 Numbers) and January in Mannar area (16,269 Numbers). The fishing effort remained at a more or less steady level in Mannar area throughout the study period (7 - 9 boats day-1). However in Kalpitiya area, fishing effort varied considerably (7 - 13 boats day1) and the maximum and minimum fishing efforts were reported in March 2003 and October 2002 respectively. Nevertheless there was no significant difference between the mean number of boats engaged in this fishery in the two areas. Significantly high catches per diver per day was noted in Kalpitiya area (22.6 Numbers day-1) than in mannar (5.5 Numbers day-1) (p< 0.001). The estimated total number of sea cucumbers caught in Mannar and Kalpitiya area during the present study was 102,280. Of these 47,507 individuals were caught from Kalpitiya area and 54,773 were caught from Mannar area. Estimated values for asymptotic length (L∞) of A. echinites, A. miliaris, B. marmorata, unidentified Bohadschia. Sp. and H. scabra, were 32 cm, 41.5 cm, 56.3 cm, 41.5 cm, and 34.4 cm and the growth coefficients were 1.9 year-1, 2.3 year-1, 1.35 year-1, 1.8 year-1, 0.8 year-1 respectively. The highest mortality estimated for A. miliaris while the lowest was for H. scabra. It appears that size regulation is the most important measure for sustainable exploitation of existing sea cucumber stocks in the North western coastal region of Sri Lanka. DOI: 10.4038/sljas.v12i0.2212Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 12 (2007): 19-38

To examine the distribution pattern of adult Apostichopus japonicus, approximately monthly surveys were conducted during a 2-year period in the subtidal zone of a harbor area in Yoshimi Bay, western Yamaguchi Prefecture. Results showed a clear seasonal change in distribution pattern: many animals were distributed on the seabed and the lower part of a jetty during winter to spring, whereas most animals occurred on the upper part of a jetty during summer to autumn, namely, the aestivation season. Such change is considered to be due to the migration of animals within the present study site.

It has been suggested that the Japanese sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, has three color types (red, green, and black), although the qualitative difference between the color types, particularly between the green and black types, is unclear because of continuous color variation among color types. This study elucidated the color variation between green and black types using image processing (RGB, red–green–blue system) and multivariate analysis to demonstrate whether or not the black and green types can be quantitatively classified. Moreover, spatial variation of the RGB value among various local sites was clarified to estimate potential environmental factors that may affect the color variation. The series of analyses revealed that a quantitative boundary between green and black types could be provisionally established, and also that spatial variability in the intermediate (continuous) color trait between green and black types was significant. Potential environmental factors (depth and industrial activity index) were correlated with the color traits in both color types. These results suggest that the green and black types cannot be regarded as independent color traits and that the color variation between green and black types may be influenced by local environmental factors.

The coelomocytes suspended in the coelomic fluid and occurring in the coelomic epithelial layer of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirota: Stichopodidae) function as mediators of the immune system, trephocytic cells and nutrient transport cells. Types of coelomocytes are characterized based on their morphological and ultrastructural features. Flow cytometry plus light and electron microscopic analyses were conducted in order to characterize the coelomocytes of A. japonicus. Six types of coelomocytes were identified: lymphocytes, morula cells, amoebocytes, crystal cells, fusiform cells and vibratile cells. Within these major categories, several distinctive cell types occurred that might represent developmental stages. The mean +/- SD coelomocyte concentration in the individuals (body length: 10 to 15 cm; weight: 100 to 150 g) was (3.79 +/- 0.65) X 10(6) cells ml(-1). The coelomic fluid contained mainly hyalinocytes (76.69%) and granulocytes (23.31 %).

Collections of holothuroid echinoderms received from the Natal and South African Museums, the Universities of Cape Town and Witwatersrand and that present in the former University of Durban-Westville, contain several new species and many others that are new to the fauna of southern Africa, south of the tropic of Capricorn. A paper describing and/or recording several dendrochirotids and a dactylochirotid, from a portion of these materials originating from the east coast of southern Africa, has already been published. The current paper describes and/or reports on several new species and records of aspidochirotid, molpadid and apodid holothuroids, also from the east coast, extending from Inhaca Island, off the coast of Maputo (Mozambique), to the Port St. Johns-East London area (South Africa), the subtropical zoogeographic province. A few other species have been included if they represent juvenile material, or considered extensions of ranges (bathymetric or otherwise) of previously known species, or confirmation of a species previously recorded from a single locality in the region under consideration, or for the provision of taxonomic data that was excluded for some previous published records. Of the 30 species treated, four are new to science and seven are new records for the southern African region. The new species are Holothuria (Lessonothuria) tuberculata, H. (Theelothuria) duoturriforma, H.(T.) longicosta and H. (T.) pseudonotablis, whereas the new records include Stichopus cf. monotuberculatus (Quoy & Gaimard), Actinopyga bannwarthi Panning, A. lecanora (Jaeger), Bohadschia marmorata (Jaeger), H. (Vaneyothuria) integra Koehler & Vaney, Molpadia triforia (Cherbonnier) and Protankyra autopista (Marenzeller).

Sea cucumbers have been harvested for centuries for human consumption. The high value of some species, the ease with which such shallow water organisms can be harvested, and their vulnerable nature due to their biology, population dynamics and habitat preferences have all contributed to overexploitation and the collapse of fisheries in some locations in Malaysia. Sea cucumbers are susceptible to overexploitation due to their late maturity, density-dependent reproduction, and low rates of recruitment. Although sea cucumbers are generally widely distributed, with some species occurring throughout entire ocean basins, most species have very specific zone within reef habitats. An investigation at the Pulau Aur group (about 65km east of mainland Mersing, Johore, Malaysia; in the Johor Marine Park) has been conducted using wandering transects to re-appraise the local holothuroid biodiversity pattern according to habitat and depth. Preliminary results show that three families, eight genera and 20 species of sea cucumbers were found in the 13 locations surveyed in Pulau Aur, Pulau Dayang, Pulau Lang and Pulau Pinang, during the survey from September 5~12, 2005. The dominant family found was Holothuriidae (12 species) followed by Stichopodidae (5 species). The most dominant species in the four islands were Holothuria edulis and Stichopus chloronotus, found abundantly on sand and rubble substrates from a wide range of depth (4-20m). Eleven of the species found were reported for the first time in the study sites. Pulau Aur, Pulau Dayang and Pulau Pinang islands exhibited a high diversity in sea cucumber population (12 species found in each island) while only 6 species of sea cucumbers were recorded in Pulau Lang. Detail of the coral reefs at the islands is given to provide a better understanding of the habitat preference of sea cucumbers in the main reef areas around the islands. Results of analysis combining habitat and sea cucumber populations show that some species can only be found in specific habitats and depths, for instance Thelenota anax (size: 30-40cm) can only be found in sandy areas at depths below 16m. The distribution patterns and results of data collected in the marine park where the sea cucumber fishery is prohibited and other marine resources are protected, is provided here to further the knowledge of the area and as a model for conservation purposes.

In this study, we first determined and described the complete mitogenome sequence of Parastichopus californicus, which was 16 727 bp in length. The mitochondrial genome had the canonical mitochondrial gene content, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes. The overall base composition of the heavy-strand was 31.5% A, 18 % G, 20.6% C and 29.9% T, with a high A + T content of 61.4%. ML phylogenetic tree indicated that P. californicus and P. nigripunctatus were clustered in one branch belonging to the genus Parastichopus. This conclusion was identical to the former result by the methods of morphological taxonomy.

The regeneration of the intestine of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) was studied by describing historically the changes that occurred during intestine regeneration on the fifth day after chemically-induced evisceration. An expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis was undertaken to identify major genes, which might be involved in intestine regeneration of A. japonicus. Two cDNA libraries were constructed with directional cloning method, one for regenerating intestine collected on the third, fourth and fifth day after evisceration (post-evisceration, PE), and the other for the non-eviscerated (NE). A total of 730 ESTs were generated by sequencing cDNA clones from the two libraries (372 from PE and 358 from NE). The results showed that the number of genes that were involved in primary metabolism of PE library was less than that of NE library, while the number of genes involved in cell defense/immunity, cell division, cell signal transduction/communication of PE library was more than that of NE library. The results also revealed that the expression of the genes which might be involved in regeneration was enhanced to some extent after evisceration. Only about 11.54% of the sequenced clones were shared by two libraries, which provided some clues for the existence of differential gene expression between PE and NE intestines. A gene named epenAj was also characterized in this study.

Anesthetized body length (La), an accurate measurement of body size of Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, is measured by using /-methol anesthetizer but it is difficult to apply La in the field. An estimation method of La from only one simultaneous measurement of body length (L) and body breadth (B), regardless of the degree of contraction or extension of the body, is proposed. In simultaneous measurement of L and B for each of 150 animals of both the green and the black types of A. japonicus, there were significant negative correlations between L and B in all animals. Further, √(LxB) was approximately constant regardless of the animals’ body form (coefficient of variance: 0.01–0.06). Thus, the regression equations for Le, estimated La, were calculated: the green type, Le=2.32+2.02×√(L·B); and the black type, Le=1.34+2.12×√(L·B). The error values between Le from these equations and La were small. The variances of Le were approximately one-quarter of those of L and half of B. From these, the equations can be used for body size measurements taken in the field.

Triterpene glycosides are characteristic metabolites of sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea, Echinodermata). Majority of the glycosides belong to holostane type (lanostane derivatives with 18(20)-lactone). Carbohydrate chains of these glycosides contain xylose, glucose, quinovose, 3-O-methylglucose and 3-O-methyl sylose. During the last 5 years, main investigations were focused on holothurians belonging to the order Dendrochirotida collected in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, Antarctic and in subtropical waters. The glycosides of holothurians belonging to the order Aspidochirotida have also been studied. The most uncommon structural features of carbohydrate chains of new glycosides were: (1) the presence of quinovose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit and the presence of two quinovose residues; (2) the presence of glucose instead of common xylose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit; (3) trisaccharide carbohydrate chain; (4) the presence of two 3-O-methylxylose terminal monosaccharide units; (5) the presence of sulfate group at C-3 of quinovose residue. New glycosides without lactone or with 18(16)-lactone and having shortened side chains have also been isolated. The presence of 17α and 12α-hydroxyls, which are characteristic for glycosides from holothurians belonging to the family Holothuriidae (Aspidochirotida) in glycosides of dendrochirotids confirms parallel and relatively independent character of evolution of glycosides. All three families belonging to the order Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae, Stichopodidae and Synallactidae have similar and parallel trends in evolution of the glycosides carbohydrate chains, namely from non-sulfated hexaosides to sulfated tetraosides. Sets of aglycones in glycosides from holothurians belonging to the genus Cucumaria (Cucumariidae, Dendrochirotida) are specific for each species. The carbohydrate chains are similar in all representatives of the genus Cucumaria.

This paper presents a checklist of echinoderm species in the Adriatic Sea. The checklist is based on the review of the available literature data, with temporal coverage from the end of the 18th century to the present day, including the most recent investigations of benthic communities. A total of 108 species have been recorded: 2 species from class Crinoidea, 23 species from class Asteroidea, 22 species from class Ophiuroidea, 22 species from class Echinoidea and 39 species from class Holothuroidea. Non-indigenous echinoderm species have not been observed.

The cellular composition of the coelomic fluid of the Far Eastern holothurinans Apostichopus japonicus and Cucumaria japonica was studied using light and transmission electron microscopy and histochemistry. In the coelomic fluid of A. japonicus, the following types of coelomocytes were distinguished: progenitor cells; amoebocytes; vacuolated cells; small (or “young”) morula cells; morula cells of type I, type II, and type III; crystal cells; and vibratile cells. In the coelomic fluid of C. japonicawere found progenitor cells, amoebocytes, vacuolated cells, morula cells of type I and type II, crystal cells, and hemocytes containing a respiratory pigment. The issue of stem cell type, which gives rise to coelomocytes, is discussed.

TypeS of Sea cucumbers or trepang which have important ecOnomic value and consumed were from'the genera Holothuria, Stichopodidae, and Thelenota. Sea cucumbers catch by Indonesian fishermen are not only done in Indonesian waters but also to reach the waters of Datu lsland (scott reef), which is Box 74 MoU region.

The brown sea cucumber fishery is active in the Galapagos Islands since the year 1991 after its col- lapse in mainland Ecuador. This paper analyzes the Galapagos Sea cucumber fishery over the past decade and the reasons for its management pitfalls and chronic over fishing, and proposes an improved strategy for estimating stock size and harvest potential. Based on the historical distribution of the fishing fleet and past fishery surveys, 15 macrozones were defined; their areas were estimated from the coastline to the 30m isobaths and the numbers of sample replicates per macrozone were calculated for a density estimate precision of ±25%. Overall stock size was calculated by summing over all macrozones and was multiplied by 0.122 to obtain the annual quota. This multiplier was derived by inserting an exploitation rate of E=0.3 and a published natural mortality value of M=0.17 into Cadimas formula, thereby obtaining a more conservative precautionary quota estimate. Pre-fishery stock densities in 2009 were below the legal threshold value and the fishery remained closed. Mean densities were significantly lower in the deeper (>15m) than in the shallower (