Holothuroidea {class} - Echinodermata;

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea. They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide.The number of holothurian /ˌhɒlɵˈθjʊəriən/ species worldwide is about 1,250 with the greatest number being in the Asia Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred to as trepang, bêche-de-mer or balate. Sea cucumbers serve a usefulpurpose in the marine ecosystem as they help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter after which bacteria can continue the degradation process. full article at Wikipedia

Specimen Records:	15,724	Public Records:	4,849
Specimens with Sequences:	12,489	Public Species:	439
Specimens with Barcodes:	11,009	Public BINs:	511
Species:	996
Species With Barcodes:	842
Species List - Progress		Access Published & Released Data

Specimen Depositories:	Sequencing Labs:

Collected from 44 countries. Top 20: Show All Countries

Canada 698 French Polynesia 150 Japan 26 United States 600 Argentina 93 Indian Ocean 21 Australia 260 Colombia 84 Portugal 17 Panama 219 Philippines 74 New Caledonia 16 Mexico 207 Egypt 57 Norway 13 Costa Rica 195 Mauritius 55 Micronesia 11 South Africa 152 Peru 34