Holothuria nobilis


Holothuria nobilis, the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. The sea cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean. It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867.

Description

The cucumber inhabits shallow waters near islands and reefs. Members of the species are blackish-brown and grey in colour, and mature adults can weight between 1.7 and 4 kilograms.

Use as food

Like the related white teatfish, the black teatfish is part of a commercial fishery across its range and the cucumber is regularly consumed as a food. The species can be collected off the seafloor using diving suits or while skindiving, making the species very vulnerable to overfishing. The species is considered endangered in the Indian Ocean.