Polycheira

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Polycheira
Polycheira rufescens
Polycheira rufescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Subclass: Apodacea
Order: Apodida
Family: Chiridotidae
Genus: Polycheira
Eschscholtz, 1829
Species

see text.

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

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]

[edit] 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

[edit] 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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