Observation on juvenile sea cucumber occurrence in the shallow waters of Hare Island (erstwhile Pandian Island), Tuticorin

Abstract

Understanding juvenile sea cucumber habitat preferences is very much essential for determining the carrying capacity of a given habitat which enables the successful release of sea cucumber juveniles for restocking purpose. Holothurians occupy different habitats such as rocky shores, sandy beaches, muddy flats, coral reefs and mangrove swamps at different depths. In general, the juvenile sea cucumbers exist in the habitat occupied by the adult but are obscured from view within the sediment or crevices or beneath obscuring objects such as corals and rocks. Juveniles of 21 species of holothurians have already been reported from Indian waters, of which 17 were observed in the same habitat as adults and 4 in the absence of adult.