sea cucumber, possibly Echinopsolus acanthocola

Echinopsolus acanthocola has been collected in the Weddell Sea and Bouvet Island at depths from 200 to 650 meters [1,4]. Here it is photographed at scuba diving depth in McMurdo Sound. E. acanthocola has peaked cone-shaped processes on its body wall and its color is rose to brownish-red [1]. E. acanthocola has been collected at lengths up to 2.3 centimeters long [1].

Echinopsolus acanthocola is a suspension feeder and has a narrow sole which restricts it to using narrow, rod-like structures as subtrate; it has been collected attached to sea urchin spines [2]. Here E. acanthocola is attached to the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri and it has been collected attached to the pencil urchin Ctenocidaris perrieri [3]. The species name acanthocola is composed of Colere (meaning "to inhabit") and Acantha (meaning "spine, thorn") to indicate that this sea cucumber species is well adapted to live on sea urchin spines and similar structures [1].

1: Zoologica Scripta 19(1): 101-117,1990; 2: Polar Biology 11(3):145-155, 1991; 3: Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Biologie 62:179-191, 1992; 4: Polar Biology 29(2):106-113, 2006<

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs © Norbert Wu. Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Norbert Wu. Norbert Wu no longer grants permission for uncompensated use of his photos under any circumstances whatsoever; want more info?