Pelagothuria is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Pelagothuriidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Pelagothuria natatrix.
This sea cucumber is somewhat unusual in appearance in comparison with other sea cucumbers (and even within its family), as it looks more like a jellyfish with its large umbrella-like swimming structure supported by a ring of around 12 highly modified oral tentacles, its small tapered body and its swimming position with the mouth on top. The body is translucent with a pale purple pigmentation.[1] The mouth is surrounded by around 15 short feeding tentacles like any sea cucumber, and the veil can be contracted like jellyfishes do (it is interrupted at the central ventral radius).[1] The animal seems to reach around 16 cm in total diameter.[2]
Observation at a depth of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the central Pacific Ocean
This species constitutes the only true pelagic holothurian (and even echinoderm) known to date.[2] However, its swimming seems mostly passive, more like slightly controlled drifting.[1]
Pelagothuria natatrix observed in 2011 off the Galápagos islands.
Closer view from same 2017 NOAA Okeanos Explorer observation
Habitat and repartitionedit
This sea cucumber is extremely rare, but its geographic range seems very wide: it has been collected in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, between 200 and 4,433 m of depth.[1]
Discoveryedit
This species was described by Hubert Jacob Ludwig in 1893 based on trawled specimens collected in 1891 by the USS Albatross between the Gulf of Panama and the Galapagos Islands (605–3,350 m deep).[3]
It was not until 1989 that the first in situ footage of the species was obtained thanks to a scientific expedition in the Galapagos (542 m deep off San Cristóbal Island), followed by a scientific review of deep-sea swimming sea cucumbers from John Miller and David Pawson in 1990.[1]
In 2011, the American scientific expedition NOAAS Okeanos Explorer photographed what scientists first believed to be an unknown jellyfish,[4] but the picture was formally identified in 2014 by Smithsonian Institution experts Christopher Mah and David Pawson as Pelagothuria natatrix.[5] A second observation was made in March 2017 by the same mission off the Samoa Islands (443 m deep near Howland Island), identified by NOAA expert Steve Auscavitch, and this time included a high-resolution video of the animal swimming in the water column.[6]
Since then, more attention has been brought to this unusual species, and it has been observed more than 100 times by NOAA.[7]
Referencesedit
Wikispecies has information related to Pelagothuria.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pelagothuria.
^ abcdeMiller, J. E.; Pawson, David L., Swimming Sea Cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea): A Survey, with Analysis of Swimming Behavior in Four Bathyal Species, Smithsonian contributions to the marine sciences, no 35, 1990.
^ abMah, Christopher (September 18, 2012). "Deep-Sea Swimming Sea Cucumbers and the "most bizarre holothurian species in existence"!". The Echinoblog.
^Ludwig, H. 1893. Vorlaufiger Bericht uber die erbeuteten Holothurien. Bull MCZ 24(4) 105-114
^"Umbrella jellyfish suspended in the water column". photolib.noaa.gov.
^Mah, Christopher (September 18, 2014). "Golden Tickets in the NOAA Photo Library : Rarely seen Pelagic Sea Cucumber". Echinoblog.
^Mah, Christopher (March 17, 2017). "Okeanos Tropical Pacific Highlights: RARE and BRILLIANT Echinoderms!". Echinoblog.
^Scales, Helen (2 October 2022). "Discovered in the deep: the sea cucumber that lives a jellyfish life". The Guardian.
May 01, 2024
pelagothuria, genus, cucumbers, family, pelagothuriidae, monotypic, being, represented, single, species, natatrix, scientific, classification, domain, eukaryota, kingdom, animalia, phylum, echinodermata, class, holothuroidea, order, elasipodida, family, pelago. Pelagothuria is a genus of sea cucumbers in the family Pelagothuriidae It is monotypic being represented by the single species Pelagothuria natatrix Pelagothuria Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Echinodermata Class Holothuroidea Order Elasipodida Family Pelagothuriidae Genus PelagothuriaLudwig 1893 Species P natatrix Binomial name Pelagothuria natatrixLudwig 1893 Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Habitat and repartition 3 Discovery 4 ReferencesCharacteristics editThis sea cucumber is somewhat unusual in appearance in comparison with other sea cucumbers and even within its family as it looks more like a jellyfish with its large umbrella like swimming structure supported by a ring of around 12 highly modified oral tentacles its small tapered body and its swimming position with the mouth on top The body is translucent with a pale purple pigmentation 1 The mouth is surrounded by around 15 short feeding tentacles like any sea cucumber and the veil can be contracted like jellyfishes do it is interrupted at the central ventral radius 1 The animal seems to reach around 16 cm in total diameter 2 nbsp Observation at a depth of 1 400 metres 4 600 ft in the central Pacific Ocean This species constitutes the only true pelagic holothurian and even echinoderm known to date 2 However its swimming seems mostly passive more like slightly controlled drifting 1 nbsp Pelagothuria natatrix observed in 2011 off the Galapagos islands nbsp 2017 observation off the Samoa islands nbsp Closer view from same 2017 NOAA Okeanos Explorer observationHabitat and repartition editThis sea cucumber is extremely rare but its geographic range seems very wide it has been collected in the Atlantic Pacific and Indian oceans between 200 and 4 433 m of depth 1 Discovery editThis species was described by Hubert Jacob Ludwig in 1893 based on trawled specimens collected in 1891 by the USS Albatross between the Gulf of Panama and the Galapagos Islands 605 3 350 m deep 3 It was not until 1989 that the first in situ footage of the species was obtained thanks to a scientific expedition in the Galapagos 542 m deep off San Cristobal Island followed by a scientific review of deep sea swimming sea cucumbers from John Miller and David Pawson in 1990 1 In 2011 the American scientific expedition NOAAS Okeanos Explorer photographed what scientists first believed to be an unknown jellyfish 4 but the picture was formally identified in 2014 by Smithsonian Institution experts Christopher Mah and David Pawson as Pelagothuria natatrix 5 A second observation was made in March 2017 by the same mission off the Samoa Islands 443 m deep near Howland Island identified by NOAA expert Steve Auscavitch and this time included a high resolution video of the animal swimming in the water column 6 Since then more attention has been brought to this unusual species and it has been observed more than 100 times by NOAA 7 References edit nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Pelagothuria nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pelagothuria a b c d e Miller J E Pawson David L Swimming Sea Cucumbers Echinodermata Holothuroidea A Survey with Analysis of Swimming Behavior in Four Bathyal Species Smithsonian contributions to the marine sciences no 35 1990 a b Mah Christopher September 18 2012 Deep Sea Swimming Sea Cucumbers and the most bizarre holothurian species in existence The Echinoblog Ludwig H 1893 Vorlaufiger Bericht uber die erbeuteten Holothurien Bull MCZ 24 4 105 114 Umbrella jellyfish suspended in the water column photolib noaa gov Mah Christopher September 18 2014 Golden Tickets in the NOAA Photo Library Rarely seen Pelagic Sea Cucumber Echinoblog Mah Christopher March 17 2017 Okeanos Tropical Pacific Highlights RARE and BRILLIANT Echinoderms Echinoblog Scales Helen 2 October 2022 Discovered in the deep the sea cucumber that lives a jellyfish life The Guardian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pelagothuria amp oldid 1161839507, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
