Variable Sea Cucumber Holothuria (Platyperona) sanctori

The Variable Sea Cucumber, also called the Sanctori or Aureolated Sea Cucumber and Sea Gherkin, is native to shallow waters of the subtropical northeastern Atlantic including the Mediterranean and Black Seas and Canary Islands. It grows to 20-30cm long. It has small tentacles at the mouth end. As the name indiates, the colouring is variable, but often has a reddish base colour with round, sometimes white-ringed, spots. Sea cucumbers have a very important job: they eat detritus and waste, scooping it up with sand, and poop it out as clean sand, cleaning up the seas.