Holothuria nobilis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Echinodermata |
Class: | Holothuroidea |
Order: | Holothuriida |
Family: | Holothuriidae |
Genus: | Holothuria |
Species: | H. nobilis
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Binomial name | |
Holothuria nobilis (Selenka, 1867)
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Synonyms | |
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Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis, the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. The sea cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-pacific ocean.[3] It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867.[4]
The cucumber inhabits shallow waters near islands and reefs. Members of the species are blackish-brown and grey in colour, and mature adults can weight between 1.7 and 4 kilograms.[5]
Like the related white teatfish, the black teatfish is part of a commercial fishery across its range and the cucumber is regularly consumed as a food.[5] The species can be collected off the seafloor using diving suits or while skindiving, making the species very vulnerable to overfishing.[5] The species is considered endangered in the Indian Ocean.[6]