(Clark, 1914)

P. axiologus is a sea cucumber with bright red ambulacra and yellow to blue inter-ambulacra. It is a medium to large-sized species (length along the mid-ventral ambulacrum 2.5-3 x the length of the mid-dorsal interambulacrum, e.g. largest specimen of Clark (1946) was 125 mm dorsally, but 325 mm ventrally). The body is stout and cylindrical, with its oral end turned up and tapering, a pliable body, and a smooth and slippery tegument. Spicules are small perforated plates (P. axiologus spicules, P. axiologus spicules 2), sometimes absent in larger specimens. P. axiologus has been recorded from reefs and coastal areas, where it is found exposed on hard substrates below 1Om.

Remarks: Another species P. violaceus known from S.E. Asia has been reported - from collections in the British Museum - from northern Australia (Clark and Rowe, 1971).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Holothuroidea
Order Dendrochirotida
Family Cucumariidae
Genus Pseudocolochirus
Species Pseudocolochirus axiologus

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Pseudocolochirus axiologus (Clark, 1914)

Colochirus axiologus Clark, 1914

Cannon, L.R.G. and Silver, H. 1986. Sea Cucumbers of Northern Australia. Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Australia, 60 pp.

Clark, A.M. and Rowe, F.W.E. 1971. 'Monograph of shallow water Indo-west Pacific Echinoderms.' (London:British Museum).

Clark, H.L. 1914. The echinoderms of the Western Australian Museum. Rec. W. Australian Mus. 1:132-173.

Clark, H.L. 1938. Echinoderms from Australia. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of the Harvard College 55: 1-596.

Clark, H.L. 1946. The Echinoderm Fauna of Australia: its composition and its origin. Publications of the Carnegie Institution of Washington 566: 1-567.

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