261
ambulacra make up the bivium while the three ventral ones are known as the trivium
(Wikipedia 2020a).
Sea cucumbers are fed with detritus in the bottom structure and planktons in the
water column. It is known that these creatures play a major role in maintaining the
ecological balance due to their nutritive properties with the bottom structure of
detritus. Species live in a variety of bottom types, from surface waters to 100 m
deep, and often form dense populations in shallow sub-littoral sea grass meadows
(Kazanidis et al. 2010).
Sea cucumbers are responsible for mixing and changing the substrate.
Holothurians are sediment strainers that pass large amounts of sediment through
their gut, assimilating bacteria, detritus and low-content organic matter, especially
living diatoms. Sea cucumber improves environmental conditions by preventing the
formation of anaerobic conditions with both nutrition and movement activity and
causes an increase in species diversity. In some regions, the absence of sea cucumber can cause the sea floor to solidify, which can cause the destruction of the necessary habitat for other benthic and buried living creatures (Bruckner et al. 2003).
4.3.1.2 Distribution of Sea Cucumbers
Although sea cucumbers generally live close to the beach, they are creatures that
can be found at any depth. In general, they prefer sandy, sandy-muddy grounds with
algae and coral reefs. Sea cucumbers are an economically valuable aquatic creature
found throughout the world, especially in the tropical West Pacific and Indian
coasts, in the South Pacific and Asian countries, in the seas of Japan.
Sea cucumber production through cultivation worldwide is 205 thousand tons
and it is stated that 99% of it is made in Asian countries, mostly in China and
Indonesia. Sea cucumber is produced intensively in Asian countries, especially in
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Korea, and recently in American and African countries.
According to FAO data, 221 thousand tons of 238 thousand tons of production made
by hunting and aquaculture are carried out in Asian countries (FAO 2016).
4.3.1.3 Production and Trade of Sea Cucumbers
The international trade structure for sea cucumbers is different from typical aquatic
trades. The demand is limited to Chinese and other Asian consumers (often of
Chinese origin), and the trade is also controlled by these groups. About 90% of the
trade volume goes through Hong Kong and Singapore, while the Chinese mainland
is the main consumer market. Sea cucumber is chiefly exported in dried form
(beche-de-mer), whereas fresh and frozen products only take up a small proportion
of the international trade (Xu et al. 2015).
The highest Holothuroidea capture landings in the 2000s were yielded by
Indonesia, followed by the Philippines. On average basis, almost 47% of the world’s
Holothuroidea landings per annum, producing an average of 2572 t (wet weight)
4.3 Sea Cucumbers
ambulacra make up the bivium while the three ventral ones are known as the trivium
(Wikipedia 2020a).
Sea cucumbers are fed with detritus in the bottom structure and planktons in the
water column. It is known that these creatures play a major role in maintaining the
ecological balance due to their nutritive properties with the bottom structure of
detritus. Species live in a variety of bottom types, from surface waters to 100 m
deep, and often form dense populations in shallow sub-littoral sea grass meadows
(Kazanidis et al. 2010).
Sea cucumbers are responsible for mixing and changing the substrate.
Holothurians are sediment strainers that pass large amounts of sediment through
their gut, assimilating bacteria, detritus and low-content organic matter, especially
living diatoms. Sea cucumber improves environmental conditions by preventing the
formation of anaerobic conditions with both nutrition and movement activity and
causes an increase in species diversity. In some regions, the absence of sea cucumber can cause the sea floor to solidify, which can cause the destruction of the necessary habitat for other benthic and buried living creatures (Bruckner et al. 2003).
4.3.1.2 Distribution of Sea Cucumbers
Although sea cucumbers generally live close to the beach, they are creatures that
can be found at any depth. In general, they prefer sandy, sandy-muddy grounds with
algae and coral reefs. Sea cucumbers are an economically valuable aquatic creature
found throughout the world, especially in the tropical West Pacific and Indian
coasts, in the South Pacific and Asian countries, in the seas of Japan.
Sea cucumber production through cultivation worldwide is 205 thousand tons
and it is stated that 99% of it is made in Asian countries, mostly in China and
Indonesia. Sea cucumber is produced intensively in Asian countries, especially in
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Korea, and recently in American and African countries.
According to FAO data, 221 thousand tons of 238 thousand tons of production made
by hunting and aquaculture are carried out in Asian countries (FAO 2016).
4.3.1.3 Production and Trade of Sea Cucumbers
The international trade structure for sea cucumbers is different from typical aquatic
trades. The demand is limited to Chinese and other Asian consumers (often of
Chinese origin), and the trade is also controlled by these groups. About 90% of the
trade volume goes through Hong Kong and Singapore, while the Chinese mainland
is the main consumer market. Sea cucumber is chiefly exported in dried form
(beche-de-mer), whereas fresh and frozen products only take up a small proportion
of the international trade (Xu et al. 2015).
The highest Holothuroidea capture landings in the 2000s were yielded by
Indonesia, followed by the Philippines. On average basis, almost 47% of the world’s
Holothuroidea landings per annum, producing an average of 2572 t (wet weight)
4.3 Sea Cucumbers