Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Holothuria atra

Rori Toto

Blood Sea-cucumber

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Adult, Rarotonga 24KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Adult, Guam 93KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Asexual reproduction by transverse fission 58KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Whole animal with tentacles withdrawn 30KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Blood Sea-cucumber, Lollyfish, Black Sea-cucumber

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Rori Toto / One-tea (RR), Rori One (MG), Rori Toto / Kirikiri (AT), Rori Toto / Rori Kirikiri (MK MT), Rori Toto (AK), Loli (TS RK), Rori (TW)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, Moat, lagoon shallow, reef-slope shallow

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Cultural, Subsistence Food, Beche-de-mer; Poisonous skin - in cuts and to fishes

Enlarged Image of 'Holothuria atra'

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
^P
^P
^P
^++++

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
P

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Holothuria atra Jaeger, 1833
SYNONYMS: Holothuria (Halodeima) atra

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ECHINODERMATA; ELEUTHEROZOA; HOLOTHUROIDEA; Aspidochirota; HOLOTHURIIDAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Cultural, Subsistence Food, Beche-de-mer. Comments: Sometimes used to obtain the matu (ripe reproductive organs) on Rarotonga. Sometimes used by fishermen to drive fish out of holes in the reef - the seacumumber is scratched to release skin toxins and pushed into the hole. Exported from some countries, including the Cook Islands, as a low-grade Beche-de-mer. (mid-1990 - 4US$/kg)
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Poisonous skin - in cuts and to fishes

GENERAL NOTE: Can reproduce by transverse fission, as can Stichopus chloronotus. A method of reproduction called fissiparous.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: field-specimen, College collection, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Holothuria atra.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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