Leptosynapta bergensis explained

Leptosynapta bergensis is a species of sea cucumber of the family Synaptidae.^{[1] [2]}

Description

This species of holothurian is pink with longitudinal muscle-bands and a slender and soft body. It has twelve pinnate tentacles and no tube-feet. Each tentacle has 8–11 pairs of digits. It grows to .^[3]

Distribution

It can be found on all coasts of Great Britain and Ireland and Scandinavia;^[4] it is common in Strangford Lough.^{[3] [5]} It is generally found further north than Leptosynapta inhaerens.^[6]

Habitat

Leptosynapta bergensis lives from low on shore to over deep, buried in muddy sand.^[7]

Life cycle

Leptosynapta bergensis is gonochoric and has only one gonad. Spawning and fertilization both happen externally. Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (auricularia), then into doliolaria (barrel-shaped) and then metamorphose into juvenile sea cucumbers.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Kühn, Alfred . Lectures on Developmental Physiology . 2013-03-14 . Springer Science & Business Media . 978-3-642-87286-0 . en.
2. Book: David, Bruno . Echinoderms Through Time . Guille . Alain . Feral . Jean-Pierre . 2020-12-17 . CRC Press . 978-1-000-12367-8 . en.
3. Web site: Leptosynapta bergensis - Marine Life Encyclopedia. www.habitas.org.uk.
4. Web site: Sea Cucumber - Leptosynapta bergensis. www.seawater.no.
5. Web site: Leptosynapta bergensis A sea cucumber :: Northern Ireland's Priority Species ::. www.habitas.org.uk.
6. Book: Chambers, Paul . British Seashells: A Guide for Collectors and Beachcombers . 2010-03-10 . Casemate Publishers . 978-1-78340-861-0 . en.
7. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Leptosynapta bergensis (Östergren, 1905). www.marinespecies.org.
8. Web site: Leptosynapta bergensis. www.sealifebase.se.