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Family: Cucumariidae
[Ocnus suspectus (Ludwig, 1874), moreParathyone suspectus (Ludwig, 1875)] |
Bocas Species Database Habitat: Among rocks in the intertidal zone and in shallow seagrass beds. Distribution: Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands, Florida Caribbean Depth: Near the low-tide mark to 60 m. Characteristics: Most individuals of this small species are less than 35 mm long, though some can reach 70 mm. The body is squat and curved with the mouth and anus turned upward. Ten short, highly branched tentacles carried on a naked, narrow introvert surround the mouth. Tube feet are scattered across the body, forming discrete rows along the radii, and occurring most densely on the ventral surface. The body wall is thin and feels soft to the touch due to a relatively small number of body wall ossicles. The species appears brownish due to brown pigment spots scattered over the body and tube feet. The smaller the individual, the more concentrated the pigment spots, making smaller and younger individuals appear almost black. The interradii contain longitudinal dark stripes of concentrated dark blotches. The tentacle stems are variegated black and white, or brown and white, and the bushy side branches are white. |