marine science uh hilo. contributors: marta demaintenon (compiler) matt barton nancy chaney john...

Marine Science

UH Hilo

Contributors:• Marta deMaintenon (compiler)• Matt Barton• Nancy Chaney• John Coney• Jon Bjornen• Phil Lo Cicero

Asteropsis carinifera (Lamarck, 1816)This is the commonest local sea star you’ll never see. They vary in color and get to about 18 cm across although they’re typically much smaller. They are nocturnal and more or less omnivorous, so if you have one in an aquarium you’ll never see it.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA ASTEROPSEIDAE

Photo by Phil Lo Cicero

Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758)This is the scourge of local reefs, a large corallivorous sea star that can in some places occur in vast numbers. The spines are toxic.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA ACANTHASTERIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Linckia guildingi Gray, 1840These stars have long, cylindrical arms and are commonly regrowing one or more of them. They commonly reproduce asexually that way.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA OPHIDIASTERIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816)Spotted Linckia have red or maroon spots.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA OPHIDIASTERIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Culcita novaeguineae (Müller & Troschel, 1842)Cushion stars are also corallivores, ~25 cm across.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA OREASTERIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Pentaceraster cumingi (Gray, 1840)This is a large deep water star, up to 30cm diameter.

ECHINODERMATA ASTEROIDEA OREASTERIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Ophiocoma erinaceus Müller &Troschel, 1842This is our common local basic black brittle star, size to about 10 cm arm length. By night they are paler and banded as shown here. Brittle stars ‘see’ using exoskeletal prisms in their arms and light sensitive nerves.

ECHINODERMATA OPHIUROIDEA OPHIOCOMIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1861This species has incredibly long, thin arms, and a disc about 2 cm wide. Their brown pattern helps them blend in to the bottom well.

ECHINODERMATA OPHIUROIDEA OPHIONEREIDIDAE


Brittle star sp.This little brittle star from Onekahakaha has been isolated in a water drop so it would stay in one place; it’s central disk is about 2mm wide. This species is very common in nearshore habitats.

ECHINODERMATA OPHIUROIDEA

Brittle star sp.Another very active brittle star in a water drop; it’s central disk is about 2.5 mm wide. Found at Laupahoehoe.


Brittle star sp.This white brittle star has short arms and is rather slow-moving; it’s central disk is about 2mm wide. Also from Laupahoehoe.


Brittle star sp.This brittle star was smaller than the rest, with a central disk about 1 mm wide. Found at Laupahoehoe.


Chondrocidaris gigantea A. Agassiz, 1863This is a large cidaroid (primitive) urchin with rough spines

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA CIDARIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Eucidaris metularia (Lamarck, 1816)This is a smaller cidaroid, common under nearshore rocks. The spines in this species are longitudinally grooved/ beaded and banded, and the test is up to 2 or 3 cm in diameter.

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA CIDARIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Diadema paucispinum (Agassiz, 1863)Diadematids are hollow-spined urchins, and the secondary spines are toxic. This is the long-spined (or few-spined) urchin. They can be recognized by the black primary spines several times the test diameter. They are typically found on vertical walls, usually in deeper water.

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA DIADEMATIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Echinothrix calamaris (Pallas, 1774)This is the banded urchin. They can be recognized by the green secondary spines in young animals. Primary spines are banded, and may be more white or more dark.


Photo by John Coney

Echinothrix diadema (Linnaeus, 1758)This is the blue-black urchin, which is typically striped locally or as juveniles. They can be recognized by the banded secondary spines and bluish sheen. Their primary spines are also often a bit thicker.


Photo by John Coney

Colobocentrotus atratus (Linneaus, 1758)This species is typically found in the splash zone, where it’s flat shape and spines help to keep surf from dislodging or damaging it. They can cling very strongly with their tube feet. Size to about 7.5 cm wide.

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA ECHINOMETRIDAE


Echinometra mathaei (de Blainville, 1826)This is the most common local urchin species. They are up to ~5cm in diameter and either greenish or reddish. The spines are solid and harmless, as long as you don’t step on them.


Photo by John Coney

Juvenile (?) Echinometra This little urchin is about 3 mm across (test diameter). The bases of the spines are greenish and slightly irridescent.


Echinostrephus aciculatus A. Agassiz, 1863This is a finer-spined urchin, with long reddish spines just on top. They only come out of their holes by night.


Photos by John Coney

Heterocentrotus mammillatus (Linnaeus, 1758)The red pencil urchin. The color in these comes from pigments in the tissues over the spines.


Photo by John Coney

Tripneustes gratilla (Linnaeus, 1758)The collector urchin. Unlike other species in the genus, this species doesn’t usually collect much. It’s large bodied, with few short black or white spines, and dense fields of pedicellaria between.

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA TOXOPNEUSTIDAE

Photo by John Coney

Urchin sp.This urchin was about 1.5 mm long

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA

Echinoneus cyclostomus (Leske, 1778)This is a widely distributed but rarely seen irregular urchin. It lacks the typical petaloid pattern of these urchins and has 5 double rows of red tube feet more similar to regular urchins. The spines are fine and white and the size is to about 2.5cm.

ECHINODERMATA ECHINOIDEA ECHINONEIDAE

Actinopyga mauritiana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)

This is a large cuke common in nearshore rocky habitats, where it is typically found stuck to rocks. Tan with white spots and smooth, size to ~20cm

Echinodermata Holothuroidea Holothuriidae

Photo by John Coney

Actinopyga obesa (Selenka, 1867)This is a large cuke common on hard bottoms to ~30m, where it is

typically found stuck to rocks. Tan and smooth, size to ~30cm. This species has yellow anal teeth, if you happen to get that close.



Bohadschia paradoxa (Selenka, 1867)This is a large cuke common on sand bottoms to 15m or more.

Tan with dark papillae, size to ~50cm. It sometimes buries itself or covers itself with sand.



Holothuria atra (Selenka, 1867)This is a large cuke common on sand and rubble bottoms to 33m

or more. Long and black with small papillae, and covered with sand, size to ~50cm.


Photo by John Coney

Holothuria whitmaei Bell, 1887This is a large, hard-bodied cuke common on rocky to sandy

bottoms. Black with a coating of sand, and lumps around the base, size to about 30 cm.


Photo by John Coney

Holothuria cinerascens Brandt, 1835This is a small intertidal cuke common under rocky overhangs.

Brown or grey with black/ yellow feeding tentacles.


Photo by John Coney

Holothuria difficilis (Semper, 1868)This is a small shallow water cuke common under rocks. Dark

brown or black with short papillae. Cuvierian tubules produced by this species are very fine and thin… and numerous.



Holothuria hilla Lesson, 1830This is a small nearshore cuke common under rocks. Tan with

white spots and papillae, to about 30 cm.


Photo by John Coney

Holothuria impatiens (Forsskål, 1775)This is a small nearshore cuke common under rocks. They tend to

be a bit darker and banded toward the anterior end. Size to about 20 cm.



Holothuria sp. Black-spotted cucumber. This is found in deeper water, where it is

typically found stuck to rocks. Brown with black dots ringed in white and smooth, size to ~35cm.


Photo by John Coney

Stichopus horrens Selenka, 1867 This species has roughly four rows of lumps along the body and is

mottled brown in color. To about 25 cm long.

Echinodermata Holothuroidea Stichopodidae


Stichopus sp. Stichopodids are poorly known, lumpy cukes. They tend to auto-

eviscerate rather than spewing tubules when threatened.


Photo by John Coney

Stichopus sp. This one (and the previous) is called the Hawaiian Spiky sea

cucumber, and it gets to ~50 cm long. Found on reef and rubble bottoms from about 16m to 60m or more.


Photo by John Coney

Stichopus sp. This one has dots.


Photo by John Coney

Unknown cucumber sp. 1These very small yellow (~2 cm) cukes are common

locally attached under rocks. Two tube feet and several feeding tentacles are visible

Echinodermata Holothuroidea

Polyplectana kefersteini (Selenka, 1867) Synaptids are long, narrow, thin-skinned cukes with no tube feet,

but spicules in the skin that they use to cling to substrates. They are light sensitive and quite fragile.

Echinodermata Holothuroidea Synaptidae

Photo by John Coney

Euapta godeffroyi (Semper, 1868) This is a rather colorful synaptid that can grow up to over 1m in

length.

Echinodermata Holothuroidea Synaptidae

Photo by John Coney

marine science uh hilo. contributors: marta demaintenon (compiler) matt barton nancy chaney john...

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