Leptosynapta clarki

Leptosynapta clarki

Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Apodida
Family: Synaptidae
Genus: Leptosynapta
Species:
L. clarki
Binomial name
Leptosynapta clarki
Heding, 1928

Leptosynapta clarki, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Synaptidae.[2] Commonly called skin breathing sea cucumbers, they live along the northwest coast of North America, from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska. They are pink and gelatinous and partially translucent, and are about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long, but can reach up to 6 in (15 cm). The burrow in sand along the low tideline. On rare occasions, when low tides and high surf conditions combine, thousands of these sea cucumbers can wash up on beaches to dry up and die, such as on October 21, 2025, in Seaside, Oregon.[3]

References

  1. ^ NatureServe. "Leptosynapta clarki". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  2. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Leptosynapta clarki Heding, 1928". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved Oct 22, 2025.
  3. ^ Audrey McAvoy (Oct 21, 2025). "Sea cucumbers wash ashore by the thousands in a coastal Oregon town". The Associated Press. Retrieved Oct 22, 2025.