Striped Sea Cucumber

Thyonella gemmata, the green sea cucumber or striped sea cucumber, is a marine Holothurian of the family Cucumariidae within the genus Thyonella. They are most common along the East Coast of the U.S., but their presence ranges from North Atlantic to Yucatán Peninsula, with occurrences on the West coast of the U.S. Usually they are green to black in color, vermiform, and 8–15 cm in length. They inhabit U-shaped burrows 0–6 m in depth, and both deposit and filter feed. They contain hemoglobin and exhibit biomedical properties, including against SARS-CoV-2. They have a complex digestive system and demonstrate regenerative abilities. They are gonochoristic, undergo metamorphosis, and externally fertilize.