Species

About 20 species of sea cucumbers are commercially fished. Compared to five years ago, the present landings comprise a significant increase in landings of the less valuable species commonly known as the 'worm' species. They include Holothuria leucospilota (local name "patola") and species known locally as "tri kantos", "quadro kantos", black beauty, broam beauty, hot dog (Holothuria edulis), "lubuyoh tadik" and "bantunan" (Holothuria pardalis). Figure 1 shows some of the common commercial species in Sabah and their local names.

Prices of sea cucumbers are related to the thickness of their body wall and their size. Species with a thick body wall (like teatfish) command higher prices than those with a thin body wall. For the 'worm' species, the 'large' category comprises 25-30 pieces to a kg, the 'medium category' 70-80 pieces per kg, the 'small category' 130-140 pieces per kg and extra small more than 180 pieces per kg. The wholesale price of some of the commercial species of beche-de-mer is shown in Table 1.

Figure 1. Local names of commercial species of sea cucumber from Sabah. Top(L toR): boli-boli; kasut; gadol; talipan; bot-bot; legs; patola; leopard, black beauty. Bottom (L toR): susu; broam beauty (white); mother tadik; broam beauty (brown); powder; hotdog; patola; gadol; boli-boli; sandfish; tri kantos; tadik.

Table 1. Wholesale price of some species of beche-de-mer from Sabah.

Species	Wholesale Price (US$/kg)
Teatfish (H. nobilis, H. fuscogilva)	42.10 or 78.95 (retail)
Sandfish (H. scabra)	10.53 (small) or 18.42 (medium) or 36.84 (large)
Kasut (H. fuscopunctata)	6.58
Patola (Holothuria leucospilota)	5
Tri kantos	1.58
Bantunan	1.32
Broam beauty (white)	9.21
Broam beauty (brown)	4.74
Gadol (Stichopussp.)	17.89 (small) or 21.05 (medium) or 23.68 (large)
Boli-boli (Actinopyga miliaris)	17.11
Talipan or timpul (Thelenota ananas)	17.11
Legs (T. anax)	3.68
Mother tadik (Bohadschiasp.)	7.37
Leopard (Bohadschia sp.)	9.21