Seasonal exploitation of the seacucumber Stichopus hermanni (Semper) at Tuticorin

Abstract

Stichopus hermanni earlier known as S. variegates is a widely distributed commercial species of Sea cucumber, popularly called 'pura attai' or 'pavaikya attai' in Tamil. In many of the western countries, apart from its food value as a rich protein diet (55% of dry weight) low in fat, sea cucumbers are valued for its medicinal properties. In India few works have been conducted on the biomedical aspects of sea cucumbers. Though this species have already been recorded from Gulf of mannar, the exploitation in huge quantities were never reported before. The recent development of the fishery of this species along Gulf of Mannar indicated its export potentiality as new resource. At Tuticorin along the Kalavasal area, huge quantities of this species have been processed since 2004.