Ecological and reproductive characteristics of holothuroids Isostichopus badionotus and Isostichopus sp. in Colombia

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247158
• Publication Date: 2021-02-22T18:30:22Z
• Authors: Ernesto J. Acosta; Adriana Rodríguez...; Bernd Werding; Andreas Kunzmann
• Keywords: Reproductive cycle

Isostichopus badionotus and sp. are two holothuroids exploited in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Until recently, they were considered a single species. During one year, 222 individuals 114 I . collected bays Santa Marta to study their reproductive biology collect information on size, weight habitat. Both sea cucumber morphotypes showed an annual cycle, with season from September November, closely related increase water temperature rainfall. In both cucumbers population structure exhibited unimodal distribution composed mature sex ratio 1:1. had average size (193 ± 52 mm 178 69 g) at first maturity (175 155 that was much lower than (respectively, 324 70 628 179 g; 220 348 g). While 98% upper 2.5 m, rocky bottoms between cracks, 73% found 3 7.8 m depth, exposed sandy bottoms. These differences imply management measures (e.g. minimum catch size) should not be same for morphotypes.