Sea Pig
The sea pig (Scotoplanes globosa) is a pink, plump sea cucumber that walks on the abyssal seafloor on tube feet modified into legs. Herds of sea pigs graze through the mud at depths of thousands of meters.
The sea pig (Scotoplanes globosa) is a pink, plump sea cucumber that walks on the abyssal seafloor on tube feet modified into legs. Herds of sea pigs graze through the mud at depths of thousands of meters.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Sea Pig in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Deuterostomia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Walking on Tube Feet
The animal strides on several pairs of tube-foot legs and a few pairs of tentacle-like projections on its back. Its water vascular system pumps fluid to extend its legs, as in other echinoderms.
Herds on the Abyssal Plain
Sea pigs feed on organic particles in the sediment, and large groups gather around sinking food, such as whale carcasses. Such herds were once thought to be rare, and suggest how animals share a scarce resource.
Carrying Passengers
Small crustaceans called amphipods and isopods are often found living on them, using the sea pig as a platform. See Giant Isopod.
Sea Pig at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Scotoplanes globosa |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Echinodermata |
| Class | Holothuroidea |
| Order | Elasipodida |
| Family | Elpidiidae |
| Field Guide group | Deuterostomia: Echinodermata (Sea Stars & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Translucent plump pink oval body with enlarged tube-foot hydraulic stilts and dorsal sensory papillae, deep abyssal scavenger. |
| Class | Holothuroidea |
| Habitat | Abyssal seafloor |
See Also
- Headless Chicken Monster — another deep-sea sea cucumber
- Giant Isopod — a deep-sea scavenger