Pale Sea Cucumber

How to Distinguish from Similar Species: This species looks most similar to Cucumaria miniata, of which it formerly was thought to be a pale variant. C. miniata has more robust, orange or brown buccal tentacles and its body is also orange or brown. C. miniata averages 45 madreporic bodies internally while C. pallida averages 9.

Biology/Natural History: This species lives mostly buried in the cracks between subtidal cobble. It suspension feeds by extending its buccal tentacles up into the water column. Spawning is from mid March to early May. Females release strands of eggs which later break up. The eggs are about 1/2 mm diameter.

Under rocks and cobble

Geographical Range: Auke Bay, Alaska to Santa Rosa Island, CA.

This sea cucumber has 10 pale, bushy buccal tentacles of equal length and 5 rows of tube feet. The body is up to about 26 cm long, is pale brown, tan, or yellowish, and does not have dark spots. Skin ossicles are circular or oval perforated plates, some with one end tapering and with knobs on the surfaces of many of them.

Depth Range: Low intertidal to 91 m