COMMON SEA-CUCUMBER. 



217 



HOLOTIIURIADsE. 



PENT ACT JE. 



■ 



COMMON SEA-CUCUMBER. 



Cucumaria communis. Forbes and Groodsir. 



Specific Character. — Body elongate, pentangular, with numerous alternate 

 suckers at the angles ; skin papillose ; tentacula pedunculate, plumose. 



It is very probable that this animal, which appears to 

 be common on some parts of our coast, is the species 

 usually referred to as Holothuria pentactes. It has, how- 

 ever, no immediate relation with that species. It attains 

 the size of from four to eight inches, and is of a cucumber 

 shape. Its tentacula are ten in number, pinnate, and 

 plumose, stalked, and rather large. They are of a deep 

 red colour. The body is five-sided, with numerous suckers 

 on the angles, but none on the sides, which are papillose. 

 The Scottish specimens I have seen are of a yellow colour, 

 the Irish purplish, but otherwise they do not differ. On 

 dissection, we find a moderately branched respiratory tree, 

 and very numerous genital tubes. The muscular system 

 is highly developed. The inside of the gullet is of a deep 

 brown colour. 



