Warty Sea Cucumber

The warty sea cucumber occurs from central California to Baja California, being most abundant south of Point Conception, Santa Barbara County. It lives in areas with hard substrates such as rock reefs and firm sand and mud in shallow intertidal zones to depths of about 200 feet. The warty sea cucumber is orange or brown in color with many small wart-like bumps on its body. It has small tube feet on its underside that are used to crawl along the seafloor. Warty sea cucumbers feed on organic detritus (decomposed plants and animals) and play a critical role in nutrient cycling. Natural predators include sea stars, crabs, sheephead and other fishes and sea otters. 

Overall availability

Warty sea cucumbers are available primarily in the summer with limited availability in the fall and winter. They are sold live or dried. Most of the sea cucumber harvest supports overseas markets, although they can sometimes be found at California sushi restaurants and other specialty markets.

Management

The warty sea cucumber is harvested by commercial divers in California. (Another sea cucumber, the giant red sea cucumber, is harvested using trawl gear in California and divers in Washington.) The fishery is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

More Information

Former Latin (scientific) name: Parastichopus parvimensis