About Holothuria thomasi Pawson & Caycedo, 1980
Holothuria thomasi gets its common name from its resemblance to a tiger's tail. It has an elongated cylindrical shape with rounded ends, and can grow up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long. Its body is mottled with patches and streaks of dark brown, golden brown, and white, and sometimes has irregular coloured rings. On its upper side, there are thorn-like projections called papillae, which are dark brown with white tips. The underside is paler, and bears several longitudinal rows of tube feet. This sea cucumber has no eyes; its mouth is located at the anterior end, surrounded by a fringe of around 20 shield-shaped tentacles. The anterior end becomes enlarged when the individual is feeding. Small Holothuria thomasi move around freely, but larger individuals hide in crevices or under projections and are rarely seen. Holothuria thomasi is found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the surrounding areas. It inhabits coral reefs, where it hides among the bases of corals at depths between 3 metres (9.8 ft) and 30 metres (98 ft). Its preferred habitat is the escarpments of the outer reef, between the outer ridge and the steep reef slopes.
