Giant California Sea Cucumber

Content context

BCDE canonical profile

Global species information is maintained separately from regional and consumer-specific context.

Giant California Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus) is a large cool-water sea cucumber of rocky and soft-bottom habitats along the northeastern Pacific coast.

Image gallery

See Giant California Sea Cucumber clearly

Select any thumbnail to open the unobstructed full-size image in a separate window.

Source-labelled Parastichopus californicus, published under the accepted WoRMS name Apostichopus californicus.Bradley Stevens and Eric Munk / NOAA · Wikimedia Commons · Public Domain (PD-US) · Source

Structured aquarium care

Responsible care profile

Apostichopus californicus is a large cold-water deposit feeder requiring a chilled public-aquarium-scale benthic footprint and lawful fishery origin.

Care-source supported

The structured record includes multiple references and at least one dedicated aquarium-care source.

3 referenced sources

Care level: Advanced
Minimum volume: Not specified in current guidance
Preferred volume: Not specified in current guidance
Adult size: Not specified in current record
Reef compatibility: Reef-Safe with Caution
Temperament: Benthic echinoderm
Social plan: single identified specimen

Water

Temperature: 44.6–60.8 °F (7–16 °C)
Salinity / specific gravity: 1.024–1.026 SG
pH: 8–8.4

Habitat

mature source-matched system; species-appropriate substrate and refuge; stable salinity and oxygenation.

Provide shaded crevices or suitable sediment according to the verified species.

Light: Indirect; habitat and food availability matter more than display intensity.

Flow: Moderate indirect flow with oxygenated low-shear refuge.

Feeding

deposit feeder of organic-rich sediment and detritus · Verify natural diet and document feeding and body condition at least weekly. · Food options: species-appropriate marine food only when accepted · Do not assume detritus alone is adequate; many echinoderms slowly starve without a quantified feeding pathway.

Compatibility

Stock only after adult size, diet, and available benthic food are established.

Avoid or assess carefully: copper medication, predatory fishes, harlequin shrimp, unstable new aquariums.

Acclimation and quarantine

Match temperature and salinity carefully, avoid air exposure where practical, and never transfer copper-contaminated water.

Stocking safeguards

Aquarium setting: Home aquarium. Starvation risk: high.

Only after identity, source temperature, natural diet, adult size, and food supply are verified.

No unidentified specimen
No purchase without a quantified feeding plan
No unstable salinity
No copper exposure

Special risks

Chronic starvation
Salinity shock
Copper sensitivity
Arm damage or autotomy

Habitat and Distribution

A large cool-water sea cucumber of rocky and soft-bottom habitats along the northeastern Pacific coast. Its documented range includes Northeastern Pacific, Alaska, California.

Feeding and Ecological Role

It is a deposit feeder that processes bottom sediments and detrital material.

Conservation and Responsible Sourcing

The source filename uses the historical combination Parastichopus californicus; publish under the accepted Apostichopus name and verify current harvest rules. Verify legal origin, collection method, and current trade requirements before acquisition.

A cool-water animal with defensive responses

NOAA documents the California sea cucumber, using the historical name Parastichopus californicus, in its Kodiak laboratory touch tank. Its account places the animal along the Alaska-to-California coast and describes evisceration as a defensive response. The present profile uses Apostichopus californicus.

What this means for aquarium care

Institutional display is evidence of observed captive holding, not a complete lifelong care protocol. Avoid rough handling, guard intakes, and obtain a source-matched feeding and environmental plan. Do not replace cool-water assessment with generic tropical defaults.

Regional context