Species

Lampert'S Sea Cucumber

Synaptula lamperti, Heding, 1928

marine

About Lampert'S Sea Cucumber

Synaptula lamperti is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae in the phylum Echinodermata, found on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The echinoderms are marine invertebrates and include the sea urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers. They are radially symmetric and have a water vascular system that operates by hydrostatic pressure, enabling them to move around by use of many suckers known as tube feet. Sea cucumbers are usually leathery, gherkin-shaped animals with a cluster of short tentacles at one end. They live on the sea bottom.

Appearance

S. lamperti has an elongated, opaque body with several dark-coloured, longitudinal stripes. There are no tube feet on the body but a few have been modified into a tuft of pinnate feeding tentacles which are constantly in motion. The skeletal system consists of small calcareous plates which are embedded in the cuticle. These ossicles consist of little hooks that protrude through the skin and make the animal seem sticky. It moves around rapidly and efficiently using the hooks at one end of its body for adhesion while muscular contractions and hydrostatic pressure changes alter the position of the other end.

Habitat

S. lamperti is found in the Western Pacific including the coasts of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia and the Philippines.

Where to see it

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