FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

1186 Holothurians
Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, 1835
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None.
FAO names: En - Greenfish; Fr - Trépang vert.
calcareous ring
spicules of podia
spicules of tegument
mouth ventral,
with papillae and
20 tentacles
(after Féral and Cherbonnier, 1986)
row of large papillae
spicules of tentacles
anus
terminal
Diagnostic characters: Body firm, rigid with quadrangular section, flattened ventrally (trivium); body wall
easily disintegrates outside sea water. Radii of bivium with characteristic double row of large papillae,
each radius ending in a small red or orange papilla. Trivium delimited by characteristic double row of large
papillae; stout podia arranged regularly on 3 radial bands, with 10 rows in the medio-ventral band and 5 in
the lateral. Mouth ventral, surrounded by a row of papillae and 20 green, stout tentacles. Anus
terminal. Calcareous ring with large radial pieces and narrow interradials. Cuvierian tubules absent. Cloaca
large and greenish. Colour: bivium dark green to black; trivium lighter. Spicules: presence of very
characteristic tables with a narrow disc showing 4 holes, bearing a spire generally ending in a moderately
spiny crown; tables with larger disc and simpler crown also present; presence of many C-shaped spicules;
rosettes absent; tables in dorsal with have a large multiperforated disc, bearing a large spire; ventral papillae
with long, smooth rods; ventral podia with denticulate rods and large multiperforated plates; tentacles with
smooth and granular rods.
Size: Maximum length about 35 cm, commonly to about 18 cm; mean live weight about 0.1 kg (up to 0.4 kg);
body-wall thickness about 2 mm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: A reef species, mostly found in shallow areas from near the surface to a
depth of 15 m; generally occurs on reef flats and upper slopes. Populations reaching high densities on hard
substrates, with a mean of around 0.04/m 2. Shallow-water populations are generally smaller in size than
those found in deeper waters.
Biology poorly known.
Probably harvested in some
artisanal fisheries of the area.
Collected by hand at low tide,
or by divers. The processed
product is of low commercial
value.
Distribution: Widespread in the
tropical Indo-Pacific, excluding
the Persian Gulf and Hawaii.