Sylky Sea Cucumber (Chiridota laevis)
Common name: sylky sea cucumber
Scientific name: Chiridota laevis
Locations: shallow waters of the coast, attached to rocks, in cracks and crevices
Seasonality: available all year
Color: Dark, brown, tan, maroon, purple, with lateral lines of orange feet and feeding structure
Size: 2” - 3”
Collected: by hand
Quantity: sold by the each
Common name: sylky sea cucumber
Scientific name: Chiridota laevis
Locations: shallow waters of the coast, attached to rocks, in cracks and crevices
Seasonality: available all year
Color: Dark, brown, tan, maroon, purple, with lateral lines of orange feet and feeding structure
Size: 2” - 3”
Collected: by hand
Quantity: sold by the each
Common name: sylky sea cucumber
Scientific name: Chiridota laevis
Locations: shallow waters of the coast, attached to rocks, in cracks and crevices
Seasonality: available all year
Color: Dark, brown, tan, maroon, purple, with lateral lines of orange feet and feeding structure
Size: 2” - 3”
Collected: by hand
Quantity: sold by the each
An up-close shot of a pile of bubbling sylkies.
Tidepool Tim says, “Sylkies are small sea cucumbers. These creatures perform an ecosystem service similar to terrestrial earthworms. They break down small organic material into microscopic materials which are recycled back into the ocean ecosystem through bacterial processing.”
