Pink Spiny Cucumber

Echinoderms such as cucumbers are extremely sensitive to changes in the water quality. They require well established aquariums for both water stability and sufficient food supply.

This delightful animal is a yellowish to greenish color with large bubble-gum pink spines protruding from its sides. Its feathery feeding tentacles are the same hues as its body. It uses its tiny tube feet to attach itself to its environment in an area of high water flow, extending its feeding tentacles to catch tiny floating food particles from the water. If provided with enough food it may reproduce by division. It grows up to 5 inches long.

Covers over all intakes are required or the cucumber may accidently become sucked inside. Like other filter-feeding cucumbers its body contains holothurin toxin. This species may poison the water if dying or harassed by its tank mates. Butterflyfish, angelfish and other animals who pick on invertebrates should never be kept with filter-feeding cucumbers. A water change and fresh carbon should be used if it is noticed a cucumber has died. Echinoderms such as cucumbers are extremely sensitive to changes in the water quality. They require well established aquariums and addition of supplemental foods such as phytoplankton. If it is starving it may shrink in size or lose its feeding tentacles, at which point food supply should be increased.