- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Echinodermata
- Subphylum: Echinozoa
- Class: Holothuroidea
- Order: Aspidochirotida
- Family: Synallactidae
- Scientific name: Mesothuria intestinalis
- Norwegian: tarmpølse
Characteristics:
You may find this sea cucumber less attractive than many other sea creatures. It is certainly a camouflage expert. It attaches objects from the sea bed to its tubercles, making it very difficult to spot. It may reach a length of 30 cm and a diameter of 6 cm. The mouth, under the body, is surrounded by 20 small tentacles. The color is grey or brown, sometimes with a tint of red or blue.
Habitat:
It thrives on muddy substrate, usually deeper than 20 meters.
Distribution:
It is widespread in the North Atlantic Ocean, from Norway and Iceland to the Azores and the Gulf of Mexico.