Sea Cucumbers: Holothuroidea

Physical characteristics: Sea apples are colorful sea cucumbers about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long. They usually are purple. Three rows of tube feet run along the bottom side of the animal. The top side has two rows of tube feet as well as small scattered tube feet. The body is curved so that the mouth and anus point upward. The ten tentacles are bushy purple to red and have white tips. The pieces of the body wall skeleton are rounded, smooth plates with a few holes.

Geographic range: Sea apples live in the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific Ocean.

Habitat: Sea apples live on hard material, such as coral reefs, in water as deep as 40 feet (12 meters) in areas with a current.

Diet: Sea apples eat plant plankton.

Behavior and reproduction: Sea apples live partly hidden to fully exposed with tentacles expanded, even during the day. They feed continuously, capturing large food particles with outstretched branching Sea apples live on hard material, such as coral reefs, in water as deep as 40 feet (12 meters) in areas with a current. (© A. Flowers & L. Newman/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.) tentacles that are lightly coated in mucus. Sea apples have separate sexes. Males release sperm and females release eggs into the water, where they unite and where the larvae develop. The larvae transform into young sea apples that develop into adults.

Sea apples and people: Sea apples have no known importance to people.

Conservation status: Sea apples are not considered threatened or endangered. ∎