Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 38 (1): 7 - 32 (2015) TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE Journal homepage: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/ Sea Cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) Species Richness at Selected Localities in Malaysia Kamarul Rahim Kamarudin1*, Gires Usup2, Ridzwan Hashim3 and Maryam Mohamed Rehan1 1Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia 2Marine Science Programme, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia 3Department of Biomedical Science, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Istana, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia ABSTRACT This study aimed at documenting species richness and distribution of sea cucumbers (Phylum Echinodermata: Class Holothuroidea) in Malaysia. Sea cucumber collections were conducted from August 2004 until November 2011 from several study sites in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. A total of fifty two morphospecies of sea cucumbers from four orders comprising of 12 genera were documented. Thirty eight species were recorded for Sabah, followed by 24 species for Peninsular Malaysia, and 10 species were recorded in both regions. However, nine species required further taxonomic works for their identification. Of the 15 Actinopyga species recorded, 14 species were from Sabah and one species was from Peninsular Malaysia. The order Aspidochirotida in general, and genus Holothuria in particular were the dominant taxa. Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota (Brandt, 1835) is the dominant species in Malaysia as it was observed and documented at all collection sites. Future studies on the species richness of sea cucumbers are required in Sarawak marine waters and the molecular phylogeny of the sea cucumbers in order to obtain a better understanding of the evolutionary relationships between the sea cucumbers of Malaysia. ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Sea cucumber, Malaysia, Echinodermata, Article history: Holothuroidea Received: 26 March 2012 Accepted: 2 October 2014 E-mail addresses: [email protected] (Kamarul Rahim Kamarudin), [email protected] (Gires Usup), [email protected] (Ridzwan Hashim), [email protected] (Maryam Mohamed Rehan) * Corresponding author ISSN: 1511-3701 © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press Kamarul Rahim Kamarudin, Gires Usup, Ridzwan Hashim and Maryam Mohamed Rehan INTRODUCTION Stichopus and Thelenota. The gamat species Malaysia is one of the 12 mega diverse includes Stichopus horrens (Selenka, 1867) countries in the world that houses many (Dragonfish) and Thelenota anax (Clark, marine taxa including sea cucumbers 1921) (Amberfish).Gamat is well known in (Phylum Echinodermata; Class the traditional medicine industry, especially Holothuroidea). Biogeographically, in the Langkawi and Pangkor islands. Malaysia lies within the Oriental Region Stichopus horrens is the most popular and (Huggett, 1998) but Sabah and Sarawak are the most well-studied gamat species, where situated adjacent to the Wallacea Region, it has been commercially exploited for its with the former being closer. According body fluid extracts (air gamat), lipid extracts to Mohsin and Ambak (1991), southern (minyak gamat) and also for the gamat- Thailand, southern Indo-China, Sumatra, based dietary supplements or health food Java, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo were products produced via modern technologies. connected by the Sunda Platform during the In Sabah, sea cucumbers are exploited for Pleistocene Epoch. The lowering of sea level the food industry and contribute to the forming the Sunda Platform is speculated state’s economy. to have caused the unique biogeographic The diversity and commercial values of distribution patterns of flora and fauna, Malaysia’s sea cucumbers have made the including the sea cucumbers, especially marine animals the focus of various studies throughout the Malaysian marine waters to date. Early studies in Malaysia on the (Cannon et al., 2009). presence and distribution of sea cucumbers The sea cucumber is considered as were conducted by Ridzwan and Che a marine heritage of Malaysia and it is Bashah (1985), George and George (1987), estimated that more than 80 species of sea Ridzwan (1987), Kaswandi et al. (1990), cucumbers inhabit the marine and coastal Ridzwan (1993), Ridzwan and Kaswandi waters of Malaysia (Kamarul Rahim et al., (1995), Ridzwan et al. (1995), Kaswandi et 2010). Local names for the sea cucumber al. (1995), Ridzwan et al. (1996), Ridzwan include timun laut, gamat, bat, balat, and et al. (1998a), and Ridzwan et al. (1998b). brunok. The sea cucumber is also referred The above studies were mainly focused in to as hoi sum or hai shen by the Malaysian Sabah, while the other studies were carried Chinese community, which is translated to out in Langkawi Island (Kedah), Balik Pulau sea ginseng due to its healing properties. (Penang), Pangkor Island (Perak), Tioman The local name gamat is the accepted Island (Pahang), Besar Island and Aur Island name among Malaysians and it is used as (Johor) in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as reference for all the sea cucumber species in Brunei (Baine & Forbes, 1998; Forbes within the family Stichopodidae. There & Ilias, 1999; Siti et al., 1999a; Siti et al., are two genera within the Stichopodidae 1999b; Zulfigar & Tan, 1999; Zulfigar et family found to date in Malaysia, i.e. al., 2000; Lane et al., 2000; Zainuddin & 8 Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 38 (1) 7 - 32 (2015) Sea Cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) Species Richness at Selected Localities in Malaysia Forbes, 2000; Zaidnuddin, 2002; Kamarul MATERIALS AND METHODS Rahim & Ridzwan, 2005; Zulfigar et al., Study Sites and Collection Method 2007; Zulfigaret al., 2008; Sim et al., 2008; Several localities in Peninsular Malaysia Sim et al., 2009; Kamarul Rahim et al., and Sabah were selected based on the 2009; Kamarul Rahim et al., 2010). Among known distributions of the sea cucumbers the sea cucumbers that were reported (Fig.1). Sea cucumber collection was from the previous studies, some were not conducted for approximately seven years, identified to the species level. i.e. from August 2004 until November Thus, the aim of this study was to 2011. The researchers sought the assistance document the sea cucumber species and of professional divers and employed local their distributions in several localities of residents, and there were no fixed sampling Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. Updates hours allocated. Global Positioning System on species identification from previous (GPS) was utilised to record each sampling studies including that of Kamarul Rahim et site (not specifically shown in Fig.1). The al. (2009, 2010) are also reported. Fig.1: Sea cucumber collection sites in Malaysia (Adapted from Kamarul Rahim et al., 2009) Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 38 (1): 7 - 32 (2015) 9 Kamarul Rahim Kamarudin, Gires Usup, Ridzwan Hashim and Maryam Mohamed Rehan sea cucumber specimens of sea cucumber sea cucumber specimens were catalogued were observed, collected, photographed, accordingly. measured and released, or collected after an official permission as reference specimens. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The collection of sea cucumbers was The present study recorded 52 conducted during low tide. morphospecies of sea cucumbers from 4 orders comprising 12 genera (see Table Species Identification 1, Fig.2-Fig.53). Of the total number Sea cucumber species identification was of sea cucumber species collected, 16 done by referring to the experts [(namely, species (i.e. 31%) were from the genus Assoc. Prof. Alexander M. Kerr from Holothuria, followed by Actinopyga (15 Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, species; 29%), Stichopus (8 species; 15%), USA) and the participants of NSF PEET Bohadschia (4 species; 8%) and Synapta Holothuroid Systematics Workshop held on (2 species; 4%). Meanwhile, the genera 7-16 June 2010 at the Marine Laboratory, Pearsonothuria, Thelenota, Molpadia, UOG, USA)], Ridzwan (2011), the World Polycheira, Leptosynapta, Thyone, and Register of Marine Species database at Cercodemas comprised 1 species each. http://www.marinespecies.org/index.php, The species richness of Actinopyga from and also through the information given by the present study was higher than that local residents. The undetermined species recorded by Ridzwan (1993), Baine and were temporarily designated as local names. Forbes (1998), and Forbes and Ilias (1999). Several updates to the undetermined sea Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota cucumber taxa recorded from previous (Brandt, 1835), which is commonly known studies were also done. The collected as bat puntil or white threads fish is the most specimens were placed at the laboratories dominant species in Malaysia, as it was of the Department of Museum Malaysia, observed and documented at all collection Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) sites. Kamarul Rahim et al. (2009) also Bangi, and at the International Islamic reported that H. leucospilota is the most University Malaysia (IIUM), Indera dominant species in Malaysia. It is estimated Mahkota Campus in Kuantan. that there are more than 80 species of sea cucumbers present in the marine and coastal Storage and Preservation waters of Malaysia (Kamarul Rahim et al., For short-term storage, live and dead 2010). specimens of sea cucumbers were kept Thirty eight species of sea cucumbers in ice boxes while in the laboratory, sea were collected from