Dragonfish

Stichopus horrens

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Data deficient

Usual depth3–30 m
Water temperature21–30 °C
Best monthsSeptember
How commonOccasional

About this species

Stichopus horrens is a variable, grey to green/black sea cucumber from the Indo-Pacific. It is often variegated with dark patches. It is a medium-sized species with a smooth tegument but large and irregular papillae. The big tubercles and irregular body form give an "irregular, soft and almost repulsive" appearance. Spicules are tables and large "C" bodies. S. horrens many be found on reefs, below rocks on flats.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Stichopus horrens”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 4 records
February: 4 records
March: 7 records
April: 10 records
May: 32 records
June: 12 records
July: 19 records
August: 8 records
September: 62 records
October: 12 records
November: 18 records
December: 8 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 3–30 m · Deepest record: 790 m

0–10 m: 63 records
10–20 m: 69 records
20–30 m: 5 records
30–40 m: 2 records
40–50 m: 3 records
50–60 m: 3 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 4 records
80–90 m: 1 records
90–100 m: 2 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 21–30 °C

20–22 °C: 3 records
22–24 °C: 1 records
24–26 °C: 36 records
26–28 °C: 21 records
28–30 °C: 156 records

Names and classification

English: Dragonfish, Peanutfish, Selenka's Sea Cucumber, Warty Sea Cucumber

Names in 3 more languages

French: Holothurie hérissée
Japanese: オニイボナマコ, タマナマコ
Simplified Chinese: 糙刺參, 花刺參

Other scientific names: Holothuria lutea, Stichopus godeffroyi, Stichopus Godefroyi, Stichopus tropicalis, Stichopus variegatus

Similar species

Greenfish
Stichopus chloronotus
Pineapplefish
Thelenota ananas
Amberfish
Thelenota anax

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
626 open-data records from 1867 to 2023.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist