E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Cucumaria miniata (Brandt, 1835)
Orange Sea Cucumber; Red Sea Gherkin
Family: Cucumariidae

Extracted from Sea Cucumbers of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound by Philip Lambert.

Distribution of Cucumaria miniata in British Columbia

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Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this taxon. If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., two subspecies may be illustrated) then links to the separate images will be provided below.

Illustration Source: Sea Cucumbers of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound by Philip Lambert

Cucumaria miniata is a sausage-shaped sea cucumber that grows up to 15 to 20 cm long. It has five bands of tube feet separated by broad expanses of smooth skin, and occasional scattered tube feet. Its colour varies from light orange to a dark orange-brown. The introvert is usually a lighter shade than the rest of the body. The 10 equal-sized tentacles are quite full and bushy when they are extended. Tube feet on the introvert are more prominent than on the body.

Skin ossicles: flat, oval perforated plates, slightly tapered and seldom round; with occasional, pointed bumps on the surface of the plate.

Similar Species

Cucumaria pallida is a pale orange or white sea cucumber that lives in the same habitat as Cucumaria miniata, and was previously thought to be a pale form of this species. The 10 white tentacles of C. pallida are thin and wispy compared to the robust, bushy orange or brown tentacles of C. miniata.

Biology

Etymology

miniata = bright red

Biology

Cucumaria miniata exhibits typical suspension-feeding behaviour. Feeding tentacles withdraw rapidly when touched. C. miniata feeds very little from November to March, when the plankton is reduced. Most specimens lie hidden beneath the rocks. The posterior end protrudes from beneath the rock to fill the respiratory trees with freshly oxygenated water.

Spawning is from early March to mid May, during intervals of slack tide. The anterior part of the body extends and green eggs (mean diameter 520 mm) are released in buoyant pellets which later fall apart. The yolky egg develops into a sluggish, non-feeding larva. Juveniles settle onto the undersides of rocks near the adults.

Predators of Cucumaria miniata include the Sand Star (Luidia foliolata), the Northern Sun Star (Solaster endeca) and the Sun Star (Solaster stimpsoni). The latter causes C. miniata to react with violent contractions in an effort to escape. The Kelp Greenling nips off the tentacles of this sea cucumber.

Like vertebrates, Cucumaria miniata uses haemoglobin to absorb and transport oxygen to the cells. The blood cells of C. miniata also show many structural similarities to the blood cells of some lower vertebrates such as trout and hagfish.

Some specimens of Cucumaria miniata contain a parasitic gastropod, Thyonicola dogieli. This parasite appears as a long egg-filled tube that is coiled like a spring.

Habitat

Cucumaria miniata is a common intertidal sea cucumber on the coast. It is found in sheltered waters among rock rubble in low intertidal or shallow subtidal areas. The body is hidden under rocks, but the bright orange or brown tentacles extend up into the water. This species is especially abundant where tidal current and rock rubble occur together.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Unlisted	Unlisted	Unlisted	Unlisted

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Cladodactyla miniata Brandt

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)
MarineSpecies.org WoRMS taxon details

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Ocean Biogeographic Information System Distribution Map

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

A Snail's Odyssey

General References

Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-09-16 1:32:58 PM]

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