species have a stable and favorable stock in the study area. Characters
such as bed type, light
intensity, energy levels, food availability, salinity fluctuations, presence of predators and
conspecific adults of the major factors and variables which affect
the distribution of sea
cucumbers (Mercier, 2000). Additionally, high mortality rate of sea cucumbers during the initial
establishment is also considered as another factor affecting the presence of sea cucumbers.
Generally, in terms of appearance and morphological can be seen specific differences in
calcareous spicules of different body parts in two species of sea cucumber. There are different
methods for identification of sea cucumber species including molecular phylogeny (Uthicke &
Benzie 2003; Uthicke et al. 2004; Džeroski & Drummb 2003), morphology of species (Cherbonnier
1980, Conand 1990; Dubrovskii & Sergeenko 2002), spicules and skeletal characteristics
(Cherbonnier 1980; Conand 1990; Uthicke et al. 2004); which all these methods are useful for
identification in the most cases. Investigations on fresh samples with fixed samples, did not show
any specific structural changes in the structure of spicules. The highest frequency and distribution
of spicules in
H. arenicola related to Mensal, Buttony and Barbed, respectively. While, the most
abundance spicules in all body parts of
H. parva was Barbed wire rod, and no observed any
mensal spicules. Accordingly, in addition to appearance and morphological characteristics of these
sea
cucumbers, for convenience to identification they can be used of their Bone structures
(calcareous ossicles); because both species in all sections investigated represent considerable
difference in spicules type and shape.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to give our appreciation to the staff and faculty members of Khorramshahr
University of Marine Science and Technology for their support, during the whole experiment.
REFERENCES
Al-Rashdi KhM, Claereboudt MR & Al-Busaidi SS 2007, Density and
Size Distribution of the Sea
Cucumber, Holothuria scabra (Jaeger, 1935), at Six Exploited Sites in Mahout Bay, Sultanate of
Oman. Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 12:43-51.
Al Marzouqi N, Iratni R, Nemmar A, Arafat K, Ahmed Al Sultan M & Yasin J 2011, Frondoside A inhibits
human breast cancer cell survival, migration, invasion and the growth of breast tumor xenografts.
European Journal of Pharmacology, 668(1-2):25–34.
Bruckner AW, Johnson KA & Field JD 2003, Conservation strategies for sea cucumbers: Can a CITES
Appendix II listing promote sustainable international trade. SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin,
18. PP. 24- 33.
Bordbar S, Anwar F & Saari N 2011, High-value components and bioactives from sea
cucumbers for
functional foodsea review. Marine Drugs, 9 (10), 1761-1805.
Cherbonnier G 1980, Holothuries de Nouvelle-Caledonie. Bulletin du Museum National d’Historie
Naturelles de Belgique, 44: 1–50.
Canicatti C & Roch P 1989, Studies on Holothuria poli (Echinodermata) antibacterial proteins. I. Evidence
and activity of coe-lomocyte lysosyme. Experientia, 45, 756-9.
Castro P & Huber ME 2000, Marine biology. 3edition. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, p 444.
Clark AM & Rowe FWE 1971, Monograph of Shallow Water Indo West Pacefic Echinoderms. Trustees of
the Brithis Museum (Natural History). Pitman Press, London, 238 pages.
Conand C 1990, The fishery resources of Pacific island countries. Part 2: Holothurians. In: FAO Fisheries
Technical Paper, p143. Geneva: FAO.
43
Conand C, Dinhut V, Quad JP & Rolland R2005, Sea cucumber inventory in Mayotte, southwest Indian
Ocean. Secretariat of the Pacific Community Beche-demer information bulletin, 22: 19-22.
Ceesay A, Shamsudin MN, Alipiah NM & Ismail IS 2012, Biodiversity and Adaptability of Holothuria
leucospilota and Stichopus japonicus Sea Cucumber Species in Artificial Environment. Journal of
Aquaculture Research & Development, 3:123 doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000123
Dubrovskii SV & Sergeenko VA 2002, Distribution Pattern of Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Apostichopus
japonicus in Busse Lagoon (Southern Sakhalin). Russian Journal of Marine Biology, 28 (2): 87-93.
Džeroski S & Drummb 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.
Dereli H, Culha ST, Culha M, Ozalp BH & Tekinay AA 2015, Reproduction and population structure of the
sea cucumber Holothuria tabulosa in the Dardanelles Strait, Turkey. Mediterranean Marine
Science, 17 (1). PP 47-55.
FAO 1998, The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Edited by: Carpenter, K.E. and
Niem, V.H. 2: 1046-1155.
Graham ER & Thompson JT 2009, Deposit- and suspension-feeding sea cucumbers (Echinodermata)
ingest plastic fragments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 368: 22–29.
Hawa I, Zulaikah M, Jamaludin M, Abidin AAZ, Kaswand MA & Ridzwan BH 1999, The potential of the
coelomic fluid of sea cucumber as an antioxidant. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 5. 55–59.
Hendler GJ, Miller E, Pawson DL & MK Porter 1995, Sea stars, sea urchins, and allies: Echinoderms of
Florida and the Caribbean. Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington DC. 390p.
Hickman CJ 1998, A field guide to sea stars and other echinoderms of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press,
Lexington, VA, USA, 83p.
Kerr AM & Kim J 2001, Phylogeny of Holothuroidae (Echinodermata) inferred from morphology.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 133: 63-81.
Kitano M, Kurata K, Kozuki Y, Murakami H, Yamasaki T, Yoshida H & Sasayama H 2003, Effects of deposit
feeder Stichopus japonicus on algal boom and organic matter contents of bottom sediments of the
enclosed sea.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 47:118–125.
Lambert PH & Oliver KL 2001, Pseudothyone levini, a new species of sea cucumber (Echinodermata:
Holothuroidea) from the northeastern Pacific. Proceeding of the biological societyof Washington,
114(3). PP. 589-598.
Lessios HA, Kessing BD & Pearse JS 2001, Population structure and speciation in tropical seas: global
phylogeography of the sea urchin Diadema. Evolution 55:955–975.
Mercier A, Stephen CB & Jean-François H 2000, Periodic movement, recruitment and size-related
distribution of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Solomon Islands. Hydrobiologia, 440 (1): 81-
100.
Mamelona J, Pelletier E, GirardLalancette K, Legault J, Karboune S & Kermasha S 2007, Quantification of
phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity of Atlantic sea cucumber, Cucumaria frondosa. Food
Chemistry, 104(3), 1040-1047.
Pawson L 2007, Phylam Echinodermata. Zootaxa, 1668. PP. 749-764.
Power ME, Tilman D, Estes JA, Menge BA, Bond WJ, Mills LS, Gretchen D, Castilla JC, Lubchenco J & Paine
RT 1996, Challenges in the quest for keystones. Bioscience 46:609–620.
Purcell SW, Lovatelli A, Vasconcellos M & Yimin Y 2010, Managing Sea Cucumber Fisheries with an
Ecosystem Approach. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. 157p.
Purcell SW, Lovatelli A & Pakoa K 2014a, Constraints and solutions for
managing Pacific Island sea
cucumber fisheries with an ecosystem approach. Marine Policy, 45:240–250.
44