Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Isostichopus fuscus (Ludwig, 1875)

meón, pepino de mar, Sea cucumber

Depth: shore to 39 m, Alvarado et al. (2013) 0-61 m

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Echinodermata

Class
Holothuroidea

Order
Synallactida

Family
Stichopodidae

Genus
Isostichopus

Species
fuscus

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Stichopus fuscus Ludwig, 1875, fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Mexico, Baja California, Gulf of California, Revillagigedos, Cocos, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Malpelo, Peru and Ecuador in Gulf of Guayaquil and Galapagos Islands

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Azzaroli, M.L. (1974) Notes on Some Echinoderms from the Galapagos Islands. Gruppo Ricerche Scientifiche e Tecniche Subacquee, pp. 1-8.
  • Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
  • Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
  • Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (1998) A Field Guide to Sea Stars and other Echinoderms of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 83 pp.
  • Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
  • Maluf, L.Y. (1991) Echinoderm Fauna of the Galápagos Islands. In: James, M.J. (ed.): Galápagos Marine Invertebrates. Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. Plenum Press, New York and London, p. 345-367.
  • Shepherd, S.A. Toral-Granda, V. & Edgar, G.J. (2003) Estimating the abundance of clustered and cryptic marine macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos with particular reference to sea cucumbers. Noticias de Galapagos 62: 36-39.
  • Sonnenholzner, J. Brand, M., Francisco, V., Hearn, A., Luzuriaga, M., Guarderas, P & Navarro, J. (2013) Echinoderms of Ecuador. In: Alvarado, J & Solís-Marín, A. (eds.) (2013) Echinoderm research and Diversity in Latin America. 183-233 pp.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Isostichopus fuscus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=8003. Accessed 30 October 2026.