FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Order Aspidochirotida - Holothuriidae 1177
Holothuria (Halodeima) edulis Lesson, 1830
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None.
FAO names: En - Pinkfish; Fr - Trépang rose.
calcareous ring
spicules of tentacles
spicule of podia
mouth ventral,
with 20 grey
tentacles
(after Féral and Cherbonnier, 1986)
dark dorsal band
spicules of tegument
anus
subdorsal
Diagnostic characters: Body cylindrical, elongate, with rounded ends. Tegument rough. Podia sparse on
bivium, ending in a small disc of around 100 µm diameter; podia on trivium numerous, short and stout,
distributed on the radii and interradii, their calcareous disc around 460 µm in diameter. Mouth ventral,
surrounded by 20 grey tentacles. Anus subdorsal. Calcareous ring with large radial pieces and narrow
interradials. Cuvierian tubules absent. Colour: a characteristic black or dark medio-dorsal band;
coloration lighter laterally; trivium lighter, with small, dark dots. Spicules: tegument with tables and rosettes;
tables with circular small disc, having a single hole in the middle, and bearing a spire ending in spines
which may form a maltese crown; presence of rosettes with 4 holes (2 small and 2 larger holes); a second
form of rosettes with 6 holes and small perforated plates mostly found in the dorsal tegument; ventral podia
with large plates and rods; dorsal podia with nodose rods or showing holes at their ends.
Size: Maximum length about 35 cm, commonly to about 20 cm; mean live weight about 0.2 kg (up to 0.3 kg);
body-wall thickness about 3 mm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: A common shallow-water species in the area, rarely found in depths of
more than 30 m; mostly on inner and outer flats of coastal reefs, back reefs, or shallow coastal lagoons.
Specimens from barrier reefs have been reported to have a brown bivium and a whitish trivium. Most
abundant on sandy-muddy grounds with rubble or coral patches and in seagrass beds. Mean population
density around 0.01/m 2 (not
exceeding 0.1/m 2 ). Not
traditionally harvested. The
processed product looks
similar to that of Holothuria
atra and is of low commercial
value.
Distribution: Widespread in
the tropical Indo-Pacific.