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Giant Red Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)

Giant Red Sea Cucumber
Giant Red Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus). Photo credit: DFO

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Species overview 

Physical description

There are 47 sea cucumber species in British Columbia (BC). Giant Red Sea Cucumber is the largest. Giant Red Sea Cucumber has a long cylindrical body. Its colour varies from white to reddish brown. It has bumps called papillae on its back that resemble spines.   

Giant Red Sea Cucumber has nerve rings instead of brains. Its mouth contains 20 mop-like tentacles that it uses to feed. It has tube feet on the underside of its body that it can use to move slowly along the ocean floor, up to 4 metres (m) per day. It can grow 60 centimetres (cm) long. It can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (kg).

Every year, the Giant Red Sea Cucumber breaks down and regrows its internal organs. This causes changes in:

Distribution  

Giant Red Sea Cucumber is found from Alaska to California. It lives down to 250 m deep. It is thought to migrate to different depths depending on the season. It prefers habitat with:

Juveniles are rarely seen. They attach to the underside of rocks or in mats of stringy red algae.

Life cycle

Giant Red Sea Cucumber spawns in spring and summer. It is a broadcast spawner, meaning it releases eggs and sperm into the water for fertilization. Larvae are pelagic for 2 to 4 months. They settle when they are 0.25 millimetres (mm) long.

Juveniles grow to 1 cm after 1 year. They grow to 4 to 10 cm at the end of 2 years. Adult populations are made up of individuals larger than 15 cm long. Concentrations of small (5 to 15 cm) individuals have not been found. 

In the fall and winter, Giant Red Sea Cucumber has no internal organs because it has reabsorbed them. At this time, its skin is at its thickest.

Fishery history  

First Nations have harvested Giant Red Sea Cucumber for Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) purposes since time immemorial. There is a small recreational fishery, but landings and effort are unknown.

Giant Red Sea Cucumber is the only species of sea cucumber harvested commercially in BC. A commercial fishery began in 1971. Effort increased rapidly in the 1980s. To control catch and effort, several management measures were introduced over the next decade including:

In the 1990s, it was recognized that the commercial fishery was data-limited. To collect the information needed for sustainable management, the fishery was temporarily limited to about 25% of the BC coast under an Adaptive Management Plan. Ten years’ worth of data was collected. In 2008, the fishery began to re-open. The information collected through the Adaptive Management Plan was used to sustainably manage the commercial fishery. 

In 2011, an Adaptive Rotational Fishing Strategy (ARFS) was developed. Quota Management Areas (QMA) are harvested either under a rotational-style fishery or annual-style fishery. A precautionary harvest rate of between 2 and 10% is applied to current biomass estimates for each QMA.

From 1997 to 2015, there were 4 Experimental Fishing Areas (EFAs) for Giant Red Sea Cucumber. The data collected from the EFAs was used to develop reference points and recommend harvest rates.

Management measures currently in place for the commercial fishery include:

The fishery is open for 8 weeks starting in October. Giant Red Sea Cucumber is hand-picked by divers in waters 20 m deep or shallower. Populations extend below 20 m deep, giving them refuge from commercial harvest. The central and north coast support about 80% of the fishery. All commercial landings are tracked through a coastwide Dockside Monitoring Program.

Harvesters cut Giant Red Sea Cucumber open length wise in a process called splitting. They remove its internal organs and fluids. Giant Red Sea Cucumber is landed in split form. The commercial TAC is calculated in split pounds.

Giant Red Sea Cucumber is processed into:

Giant Red Sea Cucumber requires 24 hours of human labour per metric ton for processing. The skin is boiled and salted. It is dried either outdoors or in drying machines. The meat is removed from the skin and frozen. Both products are shipped predominately to Asian markets.

Ecosystem context 

Giant Red Sea Cucumber feeds on organic waste. It functions in the ecosystem as a nutrient recycler. 

Juvenile Giant Red Sea Cucumbers are more vulnerable to predators, which may explain their cryptic behaviour.

Adult Giant Red Sea Cucumbers are eaten by:

Climate change causes changes in temperature, current patterns, and oxygen levels in the ocean. For Giant Red Sea Cucumber, this may affect:

Science advice and research

Science advice and research for Giant Red Sea Cucumber

Integrated Fisheries Management Plan 

Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Giant Red Sea Cucumber

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