Author(s): Ragia Moussa and Ismiliana Wirawati

Abstract: The study presents the first reported case of Holothuria sanctori distribution in the Egyptian Mediterranean coast and its biological characteristics, including Holothuria polii as the most common and over-exploited holothurians in the region. A total of 103 H. polii and 87 H. sanctori samples were collected based on their distinctive morphometric characteristics and ossicle composition. The calcareous structures of H. polii have the form of rugose buttons and short tables with maltese crown ossicles, rods and perforated plates, while the ossicle structures of H. sanctori are in the form of buttons with various sizes, smooth edge and different numbers of holes. H. sanctori was found on rocky substratum and rocky cavities at 5-22 m depth while H. polii was sampled from rocky and sandy substratum of 2-12 m depth. Results on studies of weight frequency distribution in both species have showed the heavy impact of over fishing in the region leading to the loss of large size class individuals.

Pages: 351-357  |  1035 Views  167 Downloads

Download Full Article: Click Here