Woo SP, Zulfigar Y, Tan SH, Kajihara H, Fujita T (2015) Sea cucumbers of the genus Stichopus Brandt, 1835 (Holothuroidea, Stichopodidae) in Straits of Malacca with description of a new species. ZooKeys 545: 1–26. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.545.6415
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Summary[edit] Description: Holothuria mexicana Ludwig, 1875 - donkey dung sea cucumber (center) & Oreaster reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) - reticulated starfish (left & right) from rocky shore intertidal zone. (photo taken by Lee & Mary Ellen St. John) Holothurians (sea cucumbers) are bizarre animals. They lack the obvious pentaradial symmetry of other echinoderms (starfish, sand dollars, etc.). They have soft, elongated, flexible bodies. Their skeletons consist of numerous, tiny, calcareous sclerites embedded in the body wall or covering the outer surface of the body. In general, sea cucumbers are benthic and vagrant, slowly moving around on the seafloor. They use mucus to collect organic debris from the seafloor and then consume the debris-covered mucus. Some holothurians can discharge internal organs and toxins from their posterior in response to potential predators. Rough handling of sea cucumbers by people can result in the same discharge behavior. Classification: Animalia, Echinodermata, Holothuroidea, Aspidochirotida, Holothuriidae Locality: Great Stirrup Cay, northern Berry Islands, northwestern Bahamas. Date: 30 December 2014, 02:53. Source: Holothuria mexicana (donkey dong sea cucumber) (Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas). Author: James St. John.
Borrero-Pérez GH, Vanegas-González MJ (2019) Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) viridiaurantia sp. nov. (Holothuriida, Holothuriidae), a new sea cucumber from the Eastern Pacific Ocean revealed by morphology and DNA barcoding. ZooKeys 893: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.893.36013
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Figure 5; Ossicles comparison between Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) viridiaurantia sp. nov. and Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) hilla. A Holotype of H. (M.) viridiaurantia sp. nov. (INV EQU4309, L = 70 mm) B H. (M.) hilla (INV EQU4311, L = 65 mm); showing end plates from tube feet and ossicle set from tentacles (large and small rods) and longitudinal muscles (C's and O's ossicles). Scale bars: 100 µm (except A upper).