WILL NOT GIFT IF WINNER DOES NOT OWN BASE GAME

The echinoderm class Holothuroidea consists of sea cucumbers, which can be described as
worm-like organisms with elongated, soft bodies. Like most echinoderms, holothuroids have 5
rows of tube feet along their bodies. These tube feet aid the animal in attachment, locomotion and
respiration (Pearse et al. 1987). Within the class Holothuroidea, there are about 1250 species, and
these are distributed among 200 genera (Smiley et al. 1991).

There is much variety among the habitats in which sea cucumbers reside. Some species, like
Cucumaria fallax, inhabit quiet, still waters, while others, such as C. miniata, are found in areas
that are constantly swept by tidal currents (McEuen 1988). Some holothuroids are tropical reef
dwellers (Uthicke 1997); others live in temperate or polar waters (Hamel and Mercier 1995).
Even the depth at which these animals can be found varies greatly. Many species live within the
intertidal zone, but a few sea cucumbers live deep in the ocean, some among hydrothermal vents
(Smirnov et al. 2000). Regardless of the environment in which they are found, sea cucumbers
have become highly adapted to life in that environment, especially in their reproductive cycles.
Sea cucumbers can reproduce through sexual reproduction as well as asexual reproduction.

Each mode of reproduction has several environmental factors that have been proposed to control
its timing. This paper will first introduce the two types of reproduction found in sea cucumbers. I
will then discuss some of the factors that have been shown to regulate sexual reproduction,
specifically the processes of gametogenesis and spawning, and the factors assumed to control
asexual reproduction. Finally, I will make a few suggestions as to directions that should be taken
during future studies on external cues for reproduction in holothuroids.