Synaptula
| Synaptula | ||||||||||||
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Synaptula lamperti |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Synaptula | ||||||||||||
| Ørsted , 1849 |
Synaptula is a genus of small, worm-like sea cucumbers that live as commensals on other invertebrates, mainly on sponges , but also on gorgonians , large, fleshy algae and calcareous algae. The different species often only live on a particular host and in some cases can be determined by determining the host species. Synaptula species ingest sediments that adhere to their host and eat the microscopic algae and diatoms it contains . In addition, they also absorb other organic particles and possibly also excretions.
Their distribution area is in the tropical Indo-Pacific , with a focus on Indonesia , the Philippines and Australia . But the animals were also found in the Maldives , Japan and the Micronesian islands . They live in shallow water at depths of one to 50 meters. The body of the Synaptula species is slender, elongated worm-like and sticky due to sclerites in the skin. Usually they are light or whitish, more rarely brownish in color. They become two to eight inches long. The end of the body can be rounded or end in a long, thread-like point.
species
- Synaptula bandae Heding, 1928
- Synaptula denticulata Heding, 1928
- Synaptula hydriformis (Lesueur, 1824)
- Synaptula indivisa Semper, 1868
- Synaptula lamperti Heding, 1928
- Synaptula media Cherbonnier & Féral, 1984
- Synaptula psara Sluiter, 1888
- Synaptula secreta Lopez, 1957
- Synaptula spinifera Massin & Tomascik, 1996
- Synaptula striata Sluiter, 1888
literature
- Harry Erhardt / Horst Moosleitner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 3 , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-103-8
- Harry Erhardt / Hans A. Baensch : Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 4 , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-023-6
- Svein A. Fossa / Alf Jacob Nilsen: Coral reef aquarium Volume 6 , Schmettkamp Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-928819-18-6
