Polycheira

Polycheira is a genus of holothurians (sea cucumbers) found in tropical Indo-Pacific.

Polycheira
Polycheira rufescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Class:
Holothuroidea
Subclass:
Apodacea
Order:
Apodida
Family:
Chiridotidae
Genus:
Polycheira

Eschscholtz, 1829
Species

see text.

A curious pattern of reproduction has been found in Polycheira rufescens, where specimens change their sex from male to female and from female to male in a reproductive season [1]

Systematics

Polycheira appear to be closely related to the genus Chiridota (both belong to the subfamily Chiridotinae).[2] The type species of the genus is Polycheira rufescens (Brandt, 1835).

Species include:[3]

  • Polycheira fusca
  • Polycheira rufescens (=Chirodota rufescens)
  • Polycheira vitiensis

References
  1. Arakaki,S. et al.,Sex change and spatial distribution pattern in an intertidal holothurian Polycheira rufescens in the reproductive season. Res. Popul. Ecol. 1999, vol. 41, No 3
  2. Kerr,A.M. Phylogeny of the Apodan Holothurians (Echinodermata) inferred from morphology. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (2001), 133
  3. MarineSpecies.org - Polycheira


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