The Stichopodidae are a family of sea cucumbers, part of the order Synallactida.
Description
Members of this family are mostly large or medium-sized holothuroids with an angular body shape (almost forming a squarish cross-section), a flat ventral surface, and large, fleshy, cone-shaped projections. Their mouths are surrounded by 20 peltate (shield-shaped) tentacles. They are usually found on soft substrates, such as fine sand or very fine rubble.
Genera
List of genera according to the World Register of Marine Species:
- genus Apostichopus <small>Liao, 1980</small> (8 species, North Pacific)
- genus Astichopus <small>Clark, 1922</small> (1 species, Caribbean)
- genus Australostichopus <small>Levin in Moraes et al., 2004</small> (1 species, New Zealand and southern Australia)
- genus Eostichopus <small>Cutress & Miller, 1982</small> (1 species, Caribbean)
- genus Isostichopus <small>Deichmann, 1958</small> (3 species, warm East Pacific and Atlantic)
- genus Neostichopus <small>Deichmann, 1948</small> (1 species, South Africa)
- genus Parastichopus <small>Clark, 1922</small> (2 species, Atlantic and North Pacific)
- genus Stichopus <small>Brandt, 1835</small> (13 species, Indo-Pacific)
- genus Thelenota <small>Brandt, 1835</small> (3 species, Indo-Pacific)
References