Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T15:50:27.224Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Habitat preference of sea cucumbers: Holothuria atra and Holothuria edulis in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2011

D.C.T. Dissanayake  and
G. Stefansson
D.C.T. Dissanayake*
Affiliation:
Marine Biological Resources Division, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Crow Island, Colombo 15, Sri Lanka Science Institute, Taeknigardur, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 5,107, Reykjavik, Iceland
G. Stefansson
Affiliation:
Science Institute, Taeknigardur, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 5,107, Reykjavik, Iceland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: D.C.T. Dissanayake, Science Institute, Taeknigardur, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 5, 107, Reykjavik, Iceland email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite their economic importance, the ecology of many sea cucumber species is poorly understood and factors influencing their habitat preferences remain largely unexplained. The distribution and habitat preference of two sea cucumber species; Holothuria atra and Holothuria edulis were studied off the north-west coast of Sri Lanka by underwater visual census in October 2008. The relationships between the density of each species and the habitat variables, such as mean grain size, organic content (% of dry weight), gravel (%), silt–mud (%), and depth, were examined using a generalized additive model. All these variables except silt–mud have significant influence (P < 0.05) on the habitat association of H. atra. The shallow water (<10 m) seagrass habitat with sediments characterized by 2–3.5% organic content, 15–25% of gravel and coarse sand (0.7–1.2 mm) were the most preferred conditions by H. atra. High densities of H. edulis were found in the shallow (<10 m) depths of rocky areas with algae and seagrass. Favoured bottom sediment conditions of H. edulis were mainly similar to the conditions preferred by H. atra, except organic content which did not significantly influence the habitat preference of this species. The preference towards the specific habitat characteristics seems to be associated with their feeding and protection. An understanding of habitat preference would be useful to improve the management of these sea cucumber populations and enable more precise stock assessment.

Keywords

Holothuria atraHolothuria edulisgeneralized additive modelhabitat preferenceSri Lanka
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 92 , Issue 3 , May 2012 , pp. 581 - 590
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abdl Razek, F.A., Ael-Shimy, N.A., Abdel Rahman, S.H. and Omar, H.A. (2006) Ecological observations on the abundance, distribution of holothuroids (Echinodermata–Holothuroidea) in the Red Sea coast, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 32, 346–362.Google Scholar
Bruckner, A.W. (2006) The proceedings of the technical workshop on the conservation of sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae. NOAA Technical Memorandum 44, 239 pp.Google Scholar
Bulteel, P., Jangoux, M. and Coulon, P. (1992) Biometry, bathymetric distribution, and reproductive cycle of the holothuroid Holothuria tubulosa (Echinodermata) from Mediterranean seagrass beds. Marine Ecology 13, 53–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cammen, L.M. (1982) Effect of particle size on organic content and microbial abundance within four marine sediments. Marine Ecology Progress Series 9, 273–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Choo, P.S. (2008) Population status, fisheries and trade of sea cucumbers in Asia. In Toral-Granda, V., Lovatelli, A. and Vasconcellos, M. (eds) Sea cucumbers. A global review of fisheries and trade. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 516. Rome: FAO, pp. 81–118.Google Scholar
Conand, C. (1990) The fishery resources of Pacific Island countries. Part 2 Holothurians. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 272 Rome: FAO, pp. 2–143.Google Scholar
Conand, C. and Mangion, P. (2002) Sea cucumbers on La Réunion Island fringing reefs: diversity, distribution, abundance and structure of the populations. SPC Bêche-de-Mer Information Bulletin 17, 27–32.Google Scholar
Conand, C. (2004) Present status of world sea cucumber resources and utilization: an international overview. In Lovatelli, A., Conand, C., Purcell, S., Uthicke, S., Hamel, J.-F. and Mercier, A. (eds) Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management. Fisheries Technical Paper No. 463. Rome: FAO, pp. 13–24.Google Scholar
Conand, C. and Muthiga, N. (2007) Commercial sea cucumbers: a review for the Western Indian Ocean. WIOMSA Book Series 5, 66 pp.Google Scholar
Conand, C. (2008) Population status, fisheries and trade of sea cucumbers in Africa and the Indian Ocean. In Toral-Granda, V., Lovatelli, A. and Vasconcellos, M. (eds) Sea cucumbers. A global review of fisheries and trade. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 516. Rome: FAO, pp. 143–193.Google Scholar
Dale, N.G. (1974) Bacteria in intertidal sediments: factors related to their distribution. Limnology and Oceanography 19, 509–518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deroski, S. and Drumm, D. (2003) Using regression trees to identify the habitat preference of the sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) on Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Ecological Modelling 170, 219–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dissanayake, D.C.T., Athukorala, S. and Amarasiri, C. (2010) Present status of the sea cucumber fishery in Sri Lanka. SPC Bêche-de-Mer Information Bulletin 30, 14–20.Google Scholar
Eckert, G.L. (2007) Spatial patchiness in the sea cucumber Pachythyone rubra in the California Channel Islands. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 348, 121–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Entrambasaguas, L., Pérez-Ruzafa, Á., García-Charton, J.A., Stobart, B. and Bacallado, J.J. (2008) Abundance, spatial distribution and habitat relationships of echinoderms in the Cabo Verde Archipelago (eastern Atlantic). Marine and Freshwater Research 59, 477–488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faraway, J.J. (2006) Extending the linear model with R generalized linear, mixed effects and nonparametric regression models. Boca Raton, FL: Chapman and Hall/CRC.Google Scholar
Folk, R.L. (1966) A review of grain-size parameters. Sedimentology 6, 73–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forbes, B., Ilias, Z., Baine, M., Choo, P.S. and Wallbank, A. (1999) A taxonomic key and field guide to the sea cucumbers of Malaysia. Edinburgh: Heriot-Watt University, 21 pp.Google Scholar
Hammond, L.S. (1983) Nutrition of deposit-feeding holothuroids and echinoids (Echinodermata) from a shallow reef lagoon, Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Marine Ecology Progress Series 10, 297–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hargrave, B.T. (1972) Aerobic decomposition of sediment and detritus as a function of particle surface area and organic content. Limnology and Oceanography 17, 583–596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harriott, V. (1985) Reproductive biology of three congeneric sea cucumber species, Holothuria atra, H. impatiens and H. edulis, at Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36, 51–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hastie, T.J. and Tibshirani, R.J. (1990) Generalized additive models. London: Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar
Haukson, E. (1979) Feeding biology of Stichopus tremolus a deposit feeding holothurian. Sarsia 64, 155–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, D.B. (2005) Information on juvenile holothurians. SPC Bêche-de-Mer Information Bulletin 21, 26–27.Google Scholar
Kinch, J. (2002) The bêche-de-mer fishery in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. A report to the National Fisheries Authority, 41 pp.Google Scholar
Kinch, J., Purcell, S., Uthicke, S. and Friedman, K. (2008) Population status, fisheries and trade of sea cucumbers in the Western Central Pacific. In Toral-Granda, V., Lovatelli, A. and Vasconcellos, M. (eds) Sea cucumbers. A global review of fisheries and trade. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 516. Rome: FAO, pp. 7–55.Google Scholar
Long, B.G., Skewes, T.D., Dennis, D.M., Poiner, I.R., Pitcher, C.R., Taranto, T., Manson, F., Polon, F., Karre, B., Evans, C. and Milton, D. (1996) Distribution and abundance of bêche-de-mer on Torres Strait reefs. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Final Report, 99 pp.Google Scholar
Longbottom, M.R. (1970) The distribution of Arenicola marina (L.) with particular reference to the effects of particle size and organic matter of the sediments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 5, 138–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lovatelli, A., Conand, C., Purcell, S., Uthicke, S., Hamel, J.F. and Mercier, A. (2004) Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management. Fisheries Technical Paper No. 463. Rome: FAO, 425 pp.Google Scholar
Luczak, C., Janquin, M.A. and Kupka, A. (1997) Simple standard procedure for the routine determination of organic matter in marine sediment. Hydrobiologia 345, 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maravelias, C.D. (1999) Habitat selection and clustering of a pelagic fish: effects of topography and bathymetry on species dynamics. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 56, 437–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, D., Fernandez-Arcaya, U., Tirado, P., Dutrieux, E. and Corbera, J. (2009) Relationships between shallow-water cumacean assemblages and sediment characteristics facing the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 90, 125–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Massin, C. (1982) Food and feeding mechanisms: Holothuroidea. In Jangoux, M. and Lawrence, J.M. (eds) Echinoderm nutrition. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema, pp. 43–55.Google Scholar
Massin, C. and Doumen, C. (1986) Distribution and feeding of epibenthic holothuroids on the reef flat of Laing Island (Papua New Guinea). Marine Ecology Progress Series 31, 185–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayer, L.M., Rahaim, P.T., Guerin, W., Macko, S.A., Watling, L. and Anderson, F.E. (1985) Biological and granulometric controls on sedimentary organic matter of an intertidal mudflat. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 20, 491–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McBride, E.F. (1971) Mathematical treatment of size distribution data. In Carver, R.E. (ed.) Procedures in sedimentary petrology. New York: Wiley, pp. 109–127.Google Scholar
Mercier, A., Battaglene, S.C. and Hamel, J.F. (1999) Daily burrowing cycle and feeding activity of juvenile sea cucumbers Holothuria scabra in response to environmental factors. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 239, 125–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mercier, A., Battaglene, S.C. and Hamel, J.F. (2000) Settlement preferences and early migration of the tropical sea cucumber Holothuria scabra. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 249, 89–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moriarty, D.J.W. (1982) Feeding of Holothuria atra and Stichopus chloronotus on bacteria, organic carbon and organic nitrogen in sediments of the Great Barrier Reef. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33, 255–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Purcell, S.W. (2004) Criteria for release strategies and evaluating the restocking of sea cucumbers. In Lovatelli, A., Conand, C., Purcell, S.W., Uthicke, S., Hamel, J.-F. and Mercier, A. (eds) Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 463 Rome: FAO, pp. 181–189.Google Scholar
Purcell, S.W., Gossuin, H. and Agudo, N.N. (2009) Status and management of the sea cucumber fishery of la Grande Terre, New Caledonia. Penang, Malaysia: The WorldFish Center, 138 pp.Google Scholar
R Development Core Team (2009) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. URL http://www.R-project.orgGoogle Scholar
Rhoads, D.C. and Young, D.K. (1971) Animal sediment relations in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. II. Reworking by Molpadia oolitica (Holothuroidea). Marine Biology 11, 255–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, D. (1979) Deposit-feeding mechanisms and resource partitioning in tropical holothurians. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 37, 43–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shiel, G. (2004) Field observations of juvenile sea cucumbers. SPC Bêche-de-Mer Information Bulletin 20, 6–11.Google Scholar
Shiell, G.R. and Knott, B. (2010) Aggregations and temporal changes in the activity and bioturbation contribution of the sea cucumber Holothuria whitmaei (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). Marine Ecology Progress Series 415, 127–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skewes, T., Kinch, J., Polon, P., Dennis, D., Seeto, P., Taranto, T., Lokani, P., Wassenberg, T., Koutsoukos, A. and Sarke, J. (2002) Research for sustainable use of bêche-de-mer resources in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. CSIRO Division of Marine Research Final Report, 40 pp.Google Scholar
Skewes, T., Taylor, S., Dennis, D., Haywood, M. and Donovan, A. (2006) Sustainability assessment of the Torres Strait sea cucumber fishery. Final Project Report, 30 pp.Google Scholar
Slater, M.J. and Jeffs, A.G. (2010) Do benthic sediment characteristics explain the distribution of juveniles of the deposit-feeding sea cucumber Australostichopus mollis? Journal of Sea Research 64, 241–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sloan, N.A. and von Bodungen, B. (1980) Distribution and feeding of the sea cucumber Isostichopus badionatus in relation to shelter and sediment criteria of the Bermuda Platform. Marine Ecology Progress Series 2, 14–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoner, A.W., Manderson, J.P. and Pessutti, J.P. (2001) Spatially explicit analysis of estuarine habitat for juvenile winter flounder: combining generalized additive models and geographic information systems. Marine Ecology Progress Series 213, 253–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taddei, D. (2006) Matter and energy transfers in soft-bottom sediments of an anthropogenic reef complex (La Réunion Island, Indian Ocean). PhD thesis. La Réunion University.Google Scholar
Uthicke, S. (1999) Sediment bioturbation and impact of feeding activity of Holothuria (Halodeima) atra and Stichopus chloronotus, two sediment feeding holothurians, at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Bulletin of Marine Science 64, 129–141.Google Scholar
Uthicke, S. and Karez, R. (1999) Sediment patch selectivity in tropical sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea: Aspidochirotida) analysed with multiple choice experiments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 236, 69–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uthicke, S. and Benzie, J.A.H. (2000) The effect of bêche-de-mer fishing on densities and size structure of Holothuria nobilis (Echinodermata: Holothurioidea) populations on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 19, 271–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uthicke, S. (2001) Influence of asexual reproduction on the structure and dynamics of Holothuria (Holodeima) atra and Stichopus chloronotus populations of the Great Barrier Reef. Marine and Freshwater Research 52, 205–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uthicke, S., Welch, D. and Benzie, J.A.H. (2004) Slow growth and lack of recovery in overfished holothurians on the Great Barrier Reef: evidence from DNA fingerprints and repeated large-scale surveys. Conservation Biology 18, 1395–1404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, K.L., D'Elia, C.F. and Dupaul, W.D. (1977) Biomass and nutrition flux measurements on Holothuria atra populations on windward reef flats at Enewetak, Marshall Islands. In Taylor D.L. (ed.) Proceedings of the Third International Coral Reef Symposium, Miami, Florida, pp. 410–415.Google Scholar
Wiedemeyer, W.L. (1992) Feeding behaviour of two tropical holothurians, Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra and H. (Halodeima) atra from Okinawa, Japan. In Richmond R.H. (ed.) Proceedings of the Seventh International Coral Reef Symposium, Guam, USA, pp. 853–860.Google Scholar
Wiedemeyer, W.L. (1994) Biology of small juveniles of the tropical holothurian Actinopyga echinites: growth, mortality and habitat preferences. Marine Biology 120, 81–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, S.N. and Augustin, N.H. (2002) GAMs with integrated model selection using penalized regression 5 splines and applications to environmental modeling. Ecological Modeling 157, 157–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamamoto, N. and Lopez, G. (1985) Bacterial abundance in relation to surface area and organic content of marine sediments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 90, 209–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamana, Y., Hamano, T. and Miki, K. (2006) Distribution of the Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus in the intertidal zone of Hirao Bay, eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan—suitable environmental factors for juvenile habitats. Journal of National Fisheries University 54, 111–120.Google Scholar
Yingst, Y.J. (1976) Factors influencing rates of sediment ingestion by parastichopus parvimensis, an epibenthic deposit-feeding holothurian. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 14, 119–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, C.M. and Chia, F.S. (1982) Factors controlling spatial distribution of the sea cucumber Psolus chitionoides settling and post-settling behaviour. Marine Biology 69, 195–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhou, S. and Shirley, T. C. (1996) Habitat and depth distribution of the red sea cucumber Parastichopus californicus in southeast Alaska Bay. Alaska Fishery Research Bulletin 3, 123–131.Google Scholar