FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Order Aspidochirotida - Holothuriidae 1175
Holothuria (Acanthotrapeza) coluber Semper, 1868
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None.
FAO names: En - Snake fish; Fr - Holothurie serpent.
calcareous ring
spicules of
podia
spicules of
tentacles
anus with
papillae
trivium with conical yellow podia
spicules of tegument
(after Féral and Cherbonnier, 1986)
mouth ventral,
with 20 long,
yellow tentacles
Diagnostic characters: Body cylindrical, very elongate, larger near the posterior end. Tegument very
tough. Short papillae on bivium emerging from warts; podia on trivium conical, stout, yellow, arranged
in 10 rows on the radii and interradii; calcareous disc of podia around 400 µm in diameter. Mouth ventral,
surrounded by 20 very long, stout tentacles of characteristic yellow colour; mouth also surrounded
by a collar of small papillae. Anus surrounded by 5 groups of 3 small papillae. Calcareous ring with
large and high radial pieces and narrow interradials. Cuvierian tubules absent. Colour: black, with yellow
podia. Spicules: tegument with tables and pseudo-buttons; tables with circular disc showing 8 holes,
bearing a spire of 4 pillars, with spiny crown, hollow in the middle; pseudo-buttons plate-like with denticulate
border; rods in the podia and papillae smooth, with holes at their ends; tentacles with nodulous rods.
Size: Maximum length about 60 cm, commonly to about 40 cm; mean live weight about 0.3 kg (up to 1 kg);
body-wall thickness about 4 mm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Dwelling in moderately shallow water, rarely found in depths of more than
15 m; mostly on inner reef flats of fringing and lagoon-islet reefs and shallow coastal lagoons; abundant
on sandy-muddy grounds with rubble or coral patches, where it hides the posterior part of body. Population
densities between 0.01 and 0.2/m 2 . Biology very poorly known. Not known to be traditionally harvested,
but in recent times, due to increasing demand, this species also appears in the processed products of
some Pacific Islands. Collected by hand while wading on the reefs at low tide, or by divers. The processed
product is of low commercial
value.
Distribution: Widespread in
the tropical Pacific, excluding
Hawaii; not recorded in the
Indian Ocean.