Size and Appearance

          The size of S. chloronotus individuals can vary greatly, especially when they are undergoing fission and regeneration (Conand et al. 1998). One of the earliest surveys of Stichopus chloronotus populations reported the average length of an individual to be approximately 9 inches, or 23 cm (Baker 1929). Since then others have reported normal individuals to be approximately 17 cm long, with an average weight of 66.3 g (Conand et al. 1998). There is no set size, though, because these animals undergo transverse fission, and their lengths are generally shorter when regenerating than at other times (Conand et al. 1998; Uthike 2001a). Older animals that are not frequently undergoing transverse fission are also more likely to be large (Uthicke 2001a). This is possible, because those sea cucumbers that are not undergoing fission are not continually splitting themselves in half, allowing them to get longer than others.


As seen in the images above and below, Stichopus chloronotus is able to make part or all of its body bulge and shorten. This can affect how long the specimen is perceived to be.



Stichopus chloronotus is dark green in colour and has noticeable papillae that are orange- tipped. These papillae may be used as a defining feature when identifying this species in the field. The anterior end (where the "head" is located) is seen on the left hand side of the above image, while the posterior (or rear) end is seen on the right. The image below shows the dark green to black colour and the unique papillae of Stichopus chloronotus.