Prickly Redfish (species: Thelenota ananas) in taxonomy (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Animalia > Echinodermata > Echinozoa > Holothuroidea > Aspidochirotida > Stichopodidae > Thelenota > Thelenota ananas (gallery)
Thelenota ananas
Prickly Redfish


©Andrew Trevor-Jones: Thelenota ananas on an outer reef near Lizard Island.

©Barbara Banks: Thelenota ananasat Clam Garden, LIzard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: A small individual of Thelenota ananas at North Point, Lizard Island.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Holothuroidea
Order Aspidochirotida
Family Stichopodidae
Genus Thelenota
Species Thelenota ananas

Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

This large sea cucumber is unmistakeable. The highly-arched body is covered on the dorsal surface with large papillae that may vary from conical to branched on a short stalk. The ventral surface is flat and and covered with podia. Colour is orange to brown above, paler below. The body wall is thick and firm. This is a valuable commercial species.

Size

  • Up to 80 cm (length)

Depth range

  • Up to 30 m

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Purcell, S.W., Y. Samyn and C. Conand (2012). Commercially important sea cucumbers of the world 150 pp., 30 pl. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

Other references

  • Bakus, G.J. (1981). Chemical defense mechanisms on the Great Barrier Reef, Science, 211: 497-499. LIRS catalog number 41.
  • Purcell, S.W., T.P. Piddocke, S.J. Dalton and Y.-G. Wang (2016). Movement and growth of the coral reef holothuroids Bohadschia argus and Thelenota ananas, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 551: 201-214. LIRS catalog number 2005.
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