Actinopyga Echinites Research Articles

Sea cucumber biodiversity: a first report of morphological observations of sea cucumbers from Lampung and Gorontalo, Indonesia

ABSTRACT Sea cucumber biodiversity along Indonesian coasts is plentiful. However, misidentification of sea cucumbers is a common practice in trading, due to the external morphological similarity of sea cucumbers of the same genus. In 2018 and 2019, sea cucumbers were collected from Lampung and Gorontalo waters in Indonesia, known locally as blimbing, kelapa, bintik, cera merah, lolosong/pisang, olo-olo and cera duri. This article describes, for the first time, the external morphology of Actinopyga echinites, A. miliaris, Bohadschia ocellata, Holothuria edulis, H. fuscocinerea, and Pearsonothuria graeffei from Gorontalo, and that of B. marmorata and H. fuscocinerea from Lampung. Correctly identifying sea cucumbers is important in understanding their natural abundance but also for tracking sales of individuals and monitoring biodiversity.

DIVERSITAS TERIPANG (HOLOTHUROIDEA) DI ZONA INTERTIDAL PANTAI MARINA WAKATOBI

The presence of sea cucumbers does not attract much attention, but their presence greatly influences the richness of marine biota and the diversity of biota species in the waters. Live in groups or spread out and are widely found in waters with a substrate of sand, coral sand, or sand mixed with mud. The substrate for Marina beach waters is sand, sand dominated by sea grass, sand with a little Acropora type coral, and sand mixed with mud and stones. Such conditions allow the growth and development of sea cucumbers. This study aims to determine the diversity of sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) in the intertidal zone of Marina Wakatobi beach. This type of research is an experiment with cruise methods covering an area of ​​+ 500m2 in the intertidal zone of Marina Wakatobi beach. The types of sea cucumbers found were Synapta maculata, Holothuria scabra, Holothuria atra, Actinopyga echinites, Bohadschia marmorata, Holothurian hilla. Holothuria scabra is a type of sea cucumber that has a high distribution.

Diversity of holothuroidea by spicule type in the intertidal zone of Sepanjang Beach, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Holothuroidea are common individuals of benthic communities in numerous marine biological systems. They work as supplement recyclers and bioturbators of delicate bottoms and are preyed upon by fishes, birds, mollusks, crustaceans, and other taxa. Sepanjang Beach has a coral community composed of coral reefs and dominated by algae in the surface, which is a habitat for a variety of complex and diverse benthic invertebrates, one of which is holothuroidea. However, little is known about the diversity of holothurians in the area. From 2014 to 2015 there were 5 species found on Sepanjang coast, namely Holothuria leucospilota, Actinopyga echinites, Stichopus horren, Holothuria scabra, and Holothuria hilla. Samples were collected on June 9, 2021 at Sepanjang Beach using the purposive random sampling method and identified based on the type of spicules taken on the dorsal and ventral integument. The results obtained found 7 species, namely Holothuria papilifera, Holothuria cinerascens, Holothuria impatiens, Holothuria pardalis, Actinopyga miliaris, Holothuria hilla, and Actinopyga sp. The absence of previous records of these species may be associated with their low densities and cryptic habits. This research acts to fill knowledge about distribution and diversity of holothurians in the south coast of java island, especially Sepanjang beach, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta.

Density and Size Distribution of the Commercial Beche-de-mer, Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger, 1833) in Cabgan, Barobo, Surigao del Sur, Philippines

Actinopyga echinites are among the commercially exploited sea cucumbers; however, limited studies hinder the management interventions for the sustainability of the resource. This study investigates the density and size distribution of A. echinites populations in Cabgan Island, Barobo, Surigao del Sur from March–August 2021 with two stations (shallow seagrass beds as Station 1 and algal flats as Station 2) having three plots (100 m2) laid as monitoring stations. The results revealed the population density of A. echinites ranged from 567–2,567 ind/ha with a mean of 1,572 ± 225 ind/ha in Station 1 and 733–2,400 ind/ha and a mean of 1,389 ± 178 ind/ha in Station 2. Significant differences were only observed across months in each station (P = 0.00) and their interaction between months and stations (P = 0.01). A. echinites had a mean length of 7.58 ± 0.26 cm and weight of 31.39 ± 1.62 g for Station 1 and 7.84 ± 0.47 cm and 39.01 ± 3.91 g for Station 2. Specimens in Station 2 had a greater length and significantly heavier weight than in Station 1 (P = 0.00). Across months, significant differences were recorded for the specimen’s length in Station 1 and weight for both stations. The length of A. echinites ranged from 4–12 cm and 4–13.5 cm in Stations 1 and 2, respectively, and weight of 5–129 g in both stations. The highest frequencies were recorded at 7 cm in both stations and shifted to 9 cm. Weight distributions showed the highest frequencies in 35 g in the two stations. The present study shows that the population is still abundant and is more influenced by the sampling months than the stations. The species are smaller compared to other studies and might exhibit habitat preferences. Weight size distribution varied across months and could be related to their reproduction. The study provides significant insights needed for this species’ conservation and fishery management.

Diversity and Abundance of Sea Cucumbers in Selected Areas of Mindanao, Philippines

The Philippines is a “hotspot” for sea cucumbers in Asia, where decades of lack of management led to declining fisheries and biodiversity. Sea cucumbers have been widely gathered in Mindanao; however, only a few studies provide updates on sea cucumber diversity and abundance. To supplement this scant information, a survey was conducted in the eight chosen sites of the five major sea cucumber fishing grounds aimed at assessing the status of sea cucumber diversity, density, and average sizes. Line-transect surveys carried out from May–August 2021 found 22 sea cucumber species across eight sites – including two high-value species, Actinopyga lecanora, and Holothuria scabra. The most common species are Actinopyga echinites and Stichopus horrens considered of medium-value and found in all surveyed sites. H. scabra and A. echinites are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list as “endangered” and “vulnerable,” respectively, whereas the remaining sea cucumbers are either data deficient or least concerned. Tambunan MPA (marine protected area) in Tabina had the highest sea cucumber density (3,560 ind. ha–1) during daytime sampling, whereas Solar in Olutanga (3,220 ind. ha–1) during nighttime. High relative abundance of low to no commercial value holothurians were recorded during daytime and medium-value species during nighttime. The low-value Holothuria atra is the most abundant (27.2%) sea cucumber. Shannon diversity index revealed low diversity during daytime (0.13–1.43), whereas Bacayawan in Dimataling and Passig Islet in Sta. Cruz had a Shannon diversity value of > 1.5 in the nighttime. Average sizes of sea cucumbers in the surveyed sites are generally small (< 20 cm), except for a few species. The results of the study serve as baseline information for the formulation and implementation of site-specific local policies and management programs for the sustainability and conservation of sea cucumber stocks.

Suitability External Morphology and Some Biometric Characteristics of the Deep-water Redfish Actinopyga echinites (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) in Cabgan Island, Barobo, Surigao del Sur, Philippines

Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger, 1833) is among the most exploited holothurians for exports in the Philippines. Despite its economic significance, the lack of management initiatives resulted in declining wild stocks. This study provides information on external morphology and biometric characteristics like length-weight relationship and condition factor of A. echinites for proper management and sustainability. The study was conducted conducted in dry (March to May 2021) and wet (June to August 2021) seasons in Cabgan Island, Barobo, Surigao del Sur, where two stations with three plots (10 × 10m) were laid as monitoring stations. The results revealed that A. echinites showed coloration and shape variation to adapt to their environment. Higher mean length (7.7cm) and significantly higher mean weight (41.5g) were observed in A. echinites in Station 2 than the ones in Station 1 (p < 0.05). Both stations had a higher length (7.8cm and 8.4cm) and weight (38.4g and 49.7g) during wet than dry months, but only Station 2 showed significant differences for the two parameters. The population showed a negative allometric growth resulting in its leaner shape, with the slope of regression lines being 1.89 and 1.82 in Station 1 and 1.75 and 1.97 in Station 2 for the dry and wet months, respectively. Both stations recorded high condition factors but significantly higher during the wet season (p < 0.05). Further study on the reproductive biology and environmental characteristics is needed to enhance scientifically sound management interventions for the conservation and sustainability of A. echinites populations.

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities in 21 species of Indonesian sea cucumbers.

Sea cucumbers are marine organisms with uses in food, cosmetics, and medicine. This study aimed to identify Indonesian sea cucumbers with high antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Twenty-one sea cucumber species were used for this study. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazine assay. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the disk diffusion assay, whereas the resazurin-based assay was employed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Volatile compounds possibly related to the biological activity of sea cucumbers were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Holothuria atra had the strongest antioxidant capacity (IC50 = 14.22 ± 0.87µgµL-1). Stichopus vastus displayed the best antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas Stichopus ocellatus extract was most potent against Vibrio cholerae. Holothuria albiventer, which controlled Bacillus subtilis most effectively while also being active against S. aureus and V. cholerae, was the optimal antimicrobial species. H. albiventer and Actinopyga echinites inhibited B. subtilis growth at 12.5µgµL-1. The MBC tests indicated that the antibacterial activities of sea cucumbers at the MIC were bacteriostatic, rather than bactericidal, in nature. GC-MS analysis uncovered long-chain fatty acids that might be associated with the antibacterial activities of sea cucumbers.

DNA Barcoding and Diversity Analysis of 19 Economically Important Philippine Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea)

This study established the DNA barcodes of 19 economically important Philippine sea cucumbers belonging to Class Holothuroidea under Phylum Echinodermata using the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. These include sea cucumbers from the Family Holothuriidae under Order Aspidochirotida: Bohadschia marmorata, B. koellikeri, B. vitiensis, B. argus, Bohadschia sp. 1, Actinopyga echinites, A. lecanora, Holothuria scabra, H. fuscogilva, H. atra, H. impatiens, and H. albiventer; from the Family Stichopodiidae under Order Aspidochirotida: Stichopus horrens, S. monotuberculatus, S. vastus, S. hermanni, S. chloronotus, and Thelenota ananas; and from the Family Phyllophoriidae under Order Dendochirotida was Neocucumis proteus. Based on Kimura-2 pairwise (K2P) distances, low genetic variation within species of 0.005–0.018 was observed except for several species such as S. chloronotus, H. albiventer, A. echinites, and H. scabra – which had 0.057, 0.181, 0.207, and 0.215 within-species genetic variations, respectively. On the other hand, variation between species within a genus was 0.123 for Bohadschia, 0.18 for Actinopyga, 0.19 for Holothuria, and 0.071 for Stichopus. Phylogenetic tree using neighbor-joining analysis showed monophyletic clades for the genera Bohadschia, Actinopyga, Stichopus, Thelenota, and Neocucumis while paraphyletic clade was formed for the genus Holothuria. COI DNA sequences and barcodes were established for the first time for Neocucumis proteus and Holothuria albiventer.

The first complete mitochondrial genome of Actinopyga from Actinopyga echinites (Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae)

The deep-water redfish, Actinopyga echinites, is an ecologically and economically important holothuroid in China due to its valuable nutrition and pharmacological compounds. However, the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Actinopyga have been debated and misidentifications have been reported recently. Moreover, there remain considerable doubts about cryptic species complex within Actinopyga. In this study, we report the first complete mitochondrial genome of Actinopyga from A. echinites. The mitogenome has 15,619 base pairs (62.9% A + T content) and made up of a total of 37 genes (13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs), and a putative control region. This study was the first available complete mitogenome of Actinopyga and will provide useful genetic information for future phylogenetic and taxonomic classification of Holothuriidae.

Identification of Beche-de-mers from Indonesia by molecular approach

Abstract. Patantis G, Dewi AS, Fawzya YN, Nursid M. 2019. Identification of Beche-de-mers from Indonesia by molecular approach. Biodiversitas 20: 537-543. Sea cucumbers have been commercially traded around the world due to their nutritional values and health benefits. Sea cucumbers are marketed as processed sea cucumber, also known as beche de mer, teripang, haisen or gamat. Due to the high global demand of beche-de-mers, there have been several cases of fraud due to the visual shape and color similarities of processed sea cucumbers. Additionally, the local name diversity of Indonesian sea cucumbers making the identification of beche-de-mers difficult. Therefore, this study aimed to identify commercial sea cucumbers from selected locations in Indonesia by molecular approach. The targeted Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was used in this research. A total of 25 beche-de-mers was purchased from local markets in Indonesia, i.e. Boalemo (17 local names), Pesawaran (5), Surabaya (2) and West Lombok (1). Results showed that 22 species of beche-de-mer were successfully identified, ie. Acaudina sp., Actinopyga echinites, A. lecanora, A. miliaris, Bohadschia argus, B. marmorata, B. ocellata, B. vitiensis, Holothuria sp. H. atra, H. coluber, H. edulis, H. excellens, H. fuscocinerea, H. fuscogilva, H. fuscopunctata, H. scabra, Pearsonothuria graeffei, Phyrella sp., Stichopus herrmanni, S. horrens and S. monotuberculatus. The identification of Indonesian beche-de-mers using molecular method could support the identification of the local sea cucumbers to overcome mislabeled and fraud. Correct identification is important for the record of beche-de-mer trade in Indonesia and further conservation management.

Sediment removal activities of the sea cucumbers Pearsonothuria graeffei and Actinopyga echinites in Tambisan, Siquijor Island, Central Philippines

Teripang terkenal mengkonsumsi sejumlah besar sedimen dan dalam proses meminimalkan jumlah lumpur yang negatif dapat mempengaruhi organisme benthic, termasuk karang. Kegiatan pengukuran kuantitas pelepasan sedimen dua spesies holothurians (Pearsonuthuria graeffei dan Actinophyga echites) ini dilakukan di area yang didominasi oleh ganggang dan terumbu terumbu karang di Pulau Siquijor, Filipina. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa P. graeffei melepaskan sedimen sebanyak 12.5±2.07% sementara pelepasan sedimen untuk A. echinites sebanyak 10.4±3.79%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedua spesies ini lebih memilih substrat yang didominasi oleh macroalgae, diikuti oleh substrat berpasir dan coralline alga

POTENSI JENIS TERIPANG BERNILAI EKONOMIS PENTING DI EKOSISTEM PADANG LAMUN PERAIRAN DESA SULI MALUKU TENGAH

Sea cucumber is one of commercially important species that commonly traded. The high nutrition and its benefit in pharmacologic sector render the high price of sea cucumber, hence, the organism becomes over-exploitated. The price of sea cucumber are depended on the species. At least, there are more than 50 species of sea cucumber that being exploited to trade. The aim of the study was to inventory and calculate the potency of commercial sea cucumber in seagrass ecosystem at Suli Waters, Central Maluku. The study was conducted from September to October 2017. The sampling was using line transect method, while the species of sea cucumber were microscopically identified based on ossicles shape. The result showed that 14 species of sea cucumber were found, that classified into 3 family and 5 genera. Among the 14 species, 11 species were recognized as commercially important species. The 11 species and their potency were spesified as following: Actinopyga echinites (481 individuals), A. lecanora (481 individuals), A. miliaris (801 individuals), Bohadschia marmorata (2.082 individuals), B. vitiensis (1.121 individuals), Holothuria atra (374 individuals), H. coluber (427 individuals), H. lesson (908 individuals), H. scabra (4.164 individu), Stichopus chloronotus (53 individuals), and S. horrens (267 individuals). The utilization of sea cucumber was considered low. People utilized them traditionally, yet, not continously.

Profitability of the new target sea cucumber species from Mediterranean and NE Atlantic: Holothuria polii, H. mammata, H. tubulosa and H. arguinensis

Profitability of the new target sea cucumber species from Mediterranean and NE Atlantic: Holothuria polii, H. mammata, H. tubulosa and H. arguinensis

Synthesis of the ABC skeleton of the aglycon of Echinoside A

Echinoside A is a triterpene saponin isolated from the sea cucumber Actinopyga echinites (JAEGER), which displays potent antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report the synthesis of the ABC-fused ring skeleton of the aglycon of Echinoside A, with the enantiomerically pure (+)-Wieland-Miescher ketone being used as starting material and a Robinson annulation as the key reaction. (C) 2015 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reproductive Biology of Actinopyga echinites and Other Sea Cucumbers from La Réunion (Western Indian Ocean): Implications for Fishery Management

—The sea cucumber fishery is important in several countries of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) but is generally not adequately managed. A regional MASMA programme (Marine Science for Management) granted by WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Sciences Association) is providing data on the reproduction of some commercial species. In La Réunion, the two target species are Actinopyga echinites and Holothuria leucospilota. These sea cucumbers are very abundant on the fringing reefs and were sampled monthly during 2005-2006. Data on the population structure and on the reproductive cycle of A. echinites are presented here. The main results are: 1) eviscerated weight (EW) distribution of individuals within the population of Planch’Alizés site is plurimodal with a main mode at 85-95g, 2) sex-ratio is skewed toward females, 3) anatomy of gonads is described in five maturity stages, 4) a seasonal reproductive cycle with a major spawning event in December-January and a minor spawning event in April, 5) size at first sexual maturity EW50 equal to 45g is determined from another site (a sea grass bed with juveniles). These results are integrated with data from other holothurian species such as H. leucospilota, H. atra and Stichopus chloronotus previously studied in La Réunion and will be useful for research on the reproductive biology of sea cucumbers conducted in the other countries of WIO. ‘Seasonal closure’ using resultson the spawning season during the warm waters period and ‘minimum size’ using size at first sexual maturity are tools for enhancing sustainable management of the fisheries.Keywords: Sea cucumber, Actinopyga echinites, Aspidochirotid holothurians, reproductive season, first sexual maturity, fishery management, La Réunion, Western Indian Ocean

Association of the commensal scalewormGastrolepidia clavigera(Polychaeta: Polynoidae) with holothurians near the coast of South Vietnam

Abstract The Indo-West Pacific commensal scaleworm Gastrolepidia clavigera Schmarda, 1861 is here recorded for the first time from the waters of Vietnam. It was associated with the sea cucumbers Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, S. variegatus Semper, Holothuria atra Jaeger, H. leucospilota Brandt and Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger). The last two species are reported as hosts for the first time. Each host harboured 1–3 worms. About half of the infested hosts (51.4%) harboured a pair of worms, one male and one female. The frequency of occurrence of G. clavigera on hosts varied from 31.9% on A. echinites to 80.0% on S. variegatus. Infested hosts were larger than non-infested ones. A sexual size dimorphism is characteristic of G. clavigera, with females larger than males. A positive correlation between size of males and females from every pair was found; a correlation between size of holothurian hosts and size of their commensals was not observed. Commensal worms show two main types of trauma, which are described a...

Reproductive cycles of tropical sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) in southern Taiwan

Reproductive cycles of Afrocucumis africana (Dendrochirotida), Actinopyga echinites, Holothuria leucospilota, H. cinerascens, H. difficilis (Aspidochirotida), Synaptamaculata, Opheodesoma grisea, Patinapta taiwaniensis and Polycheira rufescens (Apodida), representing three orders of intertidal holothurians in southern Taiwan, were determined by gonad index and histological examination from March 1990 through September 1991. All nine species of holothurians have annual spawning periods lasting 2 to 4 mo in spring or summer. The early spawning of H. cinerascens and P. rufescens (suspension feeders) suggests that their feeding mode is related to food resources and may influence the reproductive period. In the direct-developing dendrochirotid (suspension feeder), gonad development occurs in cool months, and gametes are released at the beginning of warm months. In indirect-developing aspidochirotid and apodid (deposit feeder), gamete release occurs in late spring or summer and appears to be correlated with summer phytoplankton growth. The holothurians in the present study display spawning periodicity and duration similar to those of temperate species. Four species of holothurians lengthened spawning season with decreased latitude.

Biology of small juveniles of the tropical holothurian Actinopyga echinites: growth, mortality, and habitat preferences

Several morphological, physiological and ecological experiments on the general biology of small juveniles (drained body weight=0.09 to 17.34 g) of Actinopyga echinites (Jager 1833) (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) were conducted between August 1991 and July 1992 at Bise reef flat, Okinawa, southern Japan. Supplementary experiments were carried out at the laboratory. The experiments were designed with a view to potential stock enhancement projects of A. echinites and other commercially exploited tropical sea cucumbers of the coral reef zone. During the enclosure experiments, the average percentage of drained body weight to fresh body weight of the juveniles was 48.3%. The specimens displayed a growth rate of 1500% during the 11-mo period. Their drained body weight increased from 0.87 to 12.82 g. The juveniles' internal and skeletal morphology differed considerably from the morphology of adult A. echinites. Two new types of skeletal spicules were discovered. Individual growth of all spicule types monitored differed notably, and shrinkage was observed for the two newly discovered types. Relative frequency of the spicule types within the skeletons changed with increasing body weights of the individuals. The juveniles of A. echinites displayed a strong habitat preference for plate-like substrate types such as eroded limestone or dead coral plates. Skeletons of Acropora spp. were accepted at a much lower rate. Weight-frequency distributions of the specimens on varying substrate types and between various times of the day showed significant differences. Cryptic behaviour of the juveniles was observed at all times of the day. Natural mortality of the holothurians, excluding predation and minor dislodgement effects, was low at 0.6% mo−1. When predation effects were introduced to the experiments, mortality reached a rate of 0.3% mo−1. The average percentage of predation effects within the natural mortality total was 76.8%. Juvenile A. echinites exhibited a maximum short-distance migration speed of 9 cm h−1. This was two orders of magnitude slower than the speed observed in adults (900 cm h−1) when differences in total body length were taken into consideration. The holothurians had two activity peaks during the 4-h periods monitored, around sunrise and sunset, respectively.

Marine natural products. XIV. Structures of echinosides A and B, antifungal lanostane-oligosides from the sea cucumber Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger).

Two antifungal lanostane-type triterpene oligosides, named echinosides A (11) and B (9), were isolated from the sea cucumber Actinopyga echinites (JAEGER) collected in Okinawa Prefecture. On the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence, the structures of echinosides A and B have been elucidated respectively as 3-O-[β-D-3-O-methylglucopyranosyl (1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-quinovopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-(4-O-sodiosulfonato) xylopyranosyl]-3β, 12α, 17α, 20 (S)-tetrahydroxy-lanost-9 (11)-en-18, 20-olide (11) and 3-O-[β-D-quinovopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-(4-O-sodiosulfonato) xylopyranosyl]-3β, 12α, 17α, 20 (S)-tetrahydroxylanost-9 (11)-en-18, 20-olide (9). The antifungal activities of echinosides and allied compounds are discussed.

Viscoelasticity of Holothurian Body Wall

ABSTRACT Stress-relaxation tests and creep tests were performed on the bodywall dermis of two sea cucumbers, Actinopyga echinites (Jäger) and Holothuria leucospilota Brandt. These viscoelastic connective tissues had mechanical properties which agreed well with those of a four-element mechanical model composed of two Maxwell elements connected in parallel. The elastic stiffness of the dermis of Actinopyga was 1·7 MPa and that of Holothuria was 0·42 MPa. The viscosity of the dermis showed great variation of more than two orders. Chemical stimulation with artificial sea water containing 100 mm potassium increased the viscosity but not elasticity. The viscosity change is suggested to be caused by the change in weak (non-covalent) bonds between macromolecules which constitute the dermis.