Identification Photos: Brown Sea Cucumber, Isostichopus fuscus: The Brown Sea Cucumber has an elongated, rigid body that is chocolate brown to orange-brown in color large “warts” (papillae) which have orange tips on the back.

The skin of the Brown Sea Cucumber is smooth to the touch. The underside is flat, with three rows of feet. The Brown Sea Cucumber reaches a maximum length of 12 inches and about three-fourths of a pound in weight. It is normally found in the first 200 feet of the water column within reefs, rocks, coral, or on sand or mud bottoms.

In Mexican waters the Brown Sea Cucumber is found throughout the Sea of Cortez and along the coast of the Mexican mainland south to Guatemala. However, it is absent from the Pacific side of Baja California and from around all oceanic islands.

Due to its size and spikeless skin, the Brown Sea Cucumber is the only species of sea cucumber sold commercially. Sold as Beche-de-mer it is considered a delicacy in Asia. The market began in 1988 and very quickly the demand became much greater than the supply. In 1994, 1,230 tons were harvested from the east coast of Baja California and 6,000,000 tons from the Galapagos Islands. In 1999 further collections were banned and the species became “endangered." Interesting articles are available reviewing these events at bluereefs.org.

The Brown Sea Cucumber is a member of the Stichopodidae Family and a close relative of starfish, brittle stars, sand dollars and sea urchins. They are slug-like organisms with a tough, wart-like leathery outside skin. There are approximately 1,500 sea cucumbers known globally and most species are non-swimmers and lie at the bottom of the ocean. They do not have formal eyes. Their mouths are located at one end, surrounded by 8 to 30 modified tube feet and the anus is at the opposite end. The tentacles secrete a sticky filamentous mucus, used to capture small planktonic organisms upon which they feed. Each tentacle is periodically wiped off within the esophagus and then brought out again with a fresh supply of mucus. Most sea cucumbers have tube feet on their bodies enabling the animal to move about slowly. They also produce a white sticky substance from the anus that is a foul tasting acid utilized as a protective mechanism. They have few predators and thus are normally well exposed. They are known as “the earthworms of the sea” feeding on algae, sand, and related waste materials and contributing to enrich the marine environment. When irritated sea cucumbers can either eject a portion of their intestines trying to “gross out” their attackers, or allow a section of their body to break off which they can quickly regenerate.

Brown Sea Cucumber, Isostichopus fuscus: Collected from an El Tule tidal pool, Km 17, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in January 2008. Size approximately 6 inches. Species identification courtesy Dr. Richard Brusca, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Ariz. Description and photos courtesy of John Snow.