Panning's Black Sea Cucumber

Appearance

Size to 40 cm long. Body-wall thickness: 0.6 cm. Blackish brown (appearing black at depth) elongate cylindrical body covered with small thin elongated papillae. Dorsal surface textured, anus terminal, papillae sparse and short, anal teeth nodulous or serrated.

Distribution

West Pacific from Indonesia and Philippines to Guam, Australia and New Caledonia.

Habitat

Occurs in moderately shallow water; never found on reef flats, but on flagstones of reef slopes, particularly on sand on fore reef slopes. On coarse sand with coral rubble. Also found on semi-sheltered bay reefs with boulders and coral rubble; seldom on lagoon reefs or inshore reefs.