Colours
Distinguishing features
Pearsonothuria graeffei is a medium-sized holothurian with a distinctive brown and cream blotchy colour pattern. The body wall is soft and pliable. It is active by day, often seen feeding with its large, flat-tipped tentacles. Frequently observed spawning in the late afternoon between November and February.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Comments
Juveniles mimic the nudibranch Phyllidia varicosa - pale blue with black stripes and yellow tubercles. The similarity in pattern remains until the sea cucumber exceeds four inches in length (the maximum size of the nudibranch). Then the cucumber changes to adult coloration (according to nudibranch behaviour book by David W Behrens). Comment by Barbara Banks.
by Anne Hoggett
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
This species is common within the Lizard Island Group in reef habitats.
Behaviour
Pearsonothuria graeffei is occasionally observed spawning during the late afternoon in summer at Lizard Island (see Records for observations). The animal stands erect and spawn is released from a gonopore on the head.
Web resources
References
- Cannon, L.R.G. and H. Silver (1986). Sea Cucumbers of Northern Australia Queensland Museum, Brisbane. LIRS catalog number 229.
- Rowe, F.W.E. and J. Gates (1995). Echinodermata in: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 33, xiii, 510 pp. Wells, A. (Ed.). CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia.
- Uthicke, M. Byrne and C. Conand, S. (2010). Genetic barcoding of commercial beche-de-mer species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), Molecular Ecology Resources, 10: 634-646. LIRS catalog number 1321.