sea cucumber Cucumaria spp.

These Cucumaria spp. sea cucumbers are impossible to identify to the species level from this photo [1]. Even with specimens on hand, identification is difficult; the literature of this group is confusing and they have been referred to as Cucumaria georgiana-group [1,2].

Cucumaria spp. has been observed attached to sea urchins, branched bryozoans, and hydroid stalks [2]. Here Cucumaria spp. sea cucumber is perched on algae Phyllophora antarctica on top of the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri.

1: Julian Gutt, personal communication, 1999; 2: Polar Biology 11(3):145-155, 1991

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