Blackwell Publishing AsiaMelbourne, AustraliaFISFisheries Science0919 92682006 Blackwell Science Asia Pty LtdJune 2006723585589Original ArticleNew size measurement

for
A. japonicus
Y Yamana and T Hamano

FISHERIES SCIENCE 2006; 72: 585–589

New size measurement for the Japanese sea cucumber

Apostichopus japonicus (Stichopodidae) estimated from
the body length and body breadth
Yusuke YAMANA* AND Tatsuo HAMANO

Department of Applied Aquabiology, National Fisheries University, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi 759-6595, Japan

ABSTRACT: Anesthetized body length (La), an accurate measurement of body size of Japanese
sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, is measured by using l-menthol anesthetizer but it is difficult
to apply La in the field. An estimation method of La from only one simultaneous measurement of body
length (L) and body breadth (B), regardless of the degree of contraction or extension of the body, is
proposed. In simultaneous measurement of L and B for each of 150 animals of both the green and the
black types of A. japonicus, there were significant negative correlations between L and B in all ani-
mals. Further, √(L × B) was approximately constant regardless of the animals’ body form (coefficient
of variance: 0.01–0.06). Thus, the regression equations for Le, estimated La, were calculated: the
green type, Le = 2.32 + 2.02 × √(L·B); and the black type, Le = 1.34 + 2.12 × √(L·B). The error values
between Le from these equations and La were small. The variances of Le were approximately one-
quarter of those of L and half of B. From these, the equations can be used for body size measure-
ments taken in the field.

KEY WORDS: Apostichopus japonicus, body breadth, body length, body size, measurement,
sea cucumber.

INTRODUCTION work. In the present study we propose a new

method for obtaining a more accurate size: the
The Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japoni- anesthetized body length, by calculating from the
cus (Selenka, 1867) is distributed widely through- body length and the body breadth without refer-
out Japan from Hokkaido to Kagoshima.1 It is a ence to the state of extension and contraction of
commercially important species and its stock- the body. We propose that this is an appropriate
enhancement program is conducted in some method for use in the field.
fishing grounds. However, its typical size mea-
surement, the body length, is variable due to its
extendible and contractible body shape, therefore MATERIALS AND METHODS
reliable information on its population dynamics is
rare. For example, one of the present authors, Anesthetized body length3 (La) was selected as the
Hamano, conducted an ecologic survey on the size criterion of A. japonicus, and its estimation
population dynamics of A. japonicus in the inter- was statistically tested using the following four
tidal zone of the western coast of the Seto Inland body sizes: body length (L) measured along the
Sea.2 He measured its body length in situ under the mid-line from the tip of snout to the end of tail,
condition that the animal did not extend or con- body breadth (B) at the center of body excepting
tract its body excessively. It was difficult to deter- the papillae and the parapodia, La as L under anes-
mine the length because the animal continuously thesia by l-menthol, and the estimated La (Le), cal-
changes it, therefore the population analysis was culated from L and B according to the regression
inconclusive. However, we can obtain an accurate formula.
body size of A. japonicus by using the anesthetized First, L and B were simultaneously measured
body length,3 but it is not applicable for use in field 200 times for each animal while animals freely
extended and contracted. Then, a regression for-
*Corresponding author: Tel: 81-832-86-5111. mula between L and B was individually calculated.
Fax: 81-832-86-7435. Email: hamanot@fish-u.ac.jp Next, La was measured, and a regression formula
Received 13 July 2005. Accepted 12 December 2005. of the relationship of L and B to La was studied.
586 FISHERIES SCIENCE Y Yamana and T Hamano

Relative range index (R) values were calculated to
compare the variance of these body sizes by the
following formula:
R = (Mx − Mn)/Mm
where Mx, Mn, and Mm denote the maximum,
minimum, and mean value of 200 measurements
for each animal, respectively. Also, the estimation
error (E), between Le calculated by the regression
formula for the 200 repeat L and B values and La
measured only one time, was used as an indicator
of accuracy of the estimation method:
E = (Σ|Le − La|)/200
Furthermore, we measured the wet weight (W ),
that is, the whole body weight after wiping off
water from the body surface and shaking out water
from the respiratory tree, under anesthesia, and
calculated a conversion formula from Le to W, to
enable us to compare the previous study using W.
In the present study we classified animals into
three color types: the green, the black and the red
body types,4 and used the green and the black
types that were found abundantly in the Seto
Inland Sea. The determination of the color type
were based on the color of the ventral surface, that
is, the green (light green–dark greenish brown), the
black, and the red (pink–red). All experiments were
carried out at the Tana Marine Biological Labora-
tory (TMBL) of National Fisheries University. In
May and December 2004 we collected small and
middle-sized A. japonicus by hand in the intertidal
zone near TMBL. Additionally, in January 2005,
large animals were caught with a dredge net near-
shore of TMBL. These sampling days were in the
growing period for the animal in this area.2 We
selected 150 green and 150 black animals (25 large,
100 middle-sized, and 25 small animals for each
color) without injury, for research.
L and B were repeatedly measured as follows.
First, we took pictures of the animals extending
and contracting freely in aquaria. Then, L and B
were measured to the nearest mm on the pictures.
A total of 200 pictures were taken for each animal
with a speed of 15 frames/min using a digital still
camera (DSC-F505V, Sony, Tokyo, Japan) posi-
tioned just above the aquaria. These pictures con-
sisted of five replications of 20 continuous pictures
(1)
during extending from an extremely contracted
condition and 20 pictures during contracting from
an extremely extended condition. The extremely
extended condition was caused by the animals’
righting movement after they were turned upside
down, and the extremely contracted condition was
induced by pricking their body surface with a pair
of forceps. All animals were starved for 24 h before
the experiment to minimize the effects of excretion
(2)
on W.
The anesthetizer of Yamana et al. was used to
obtain La.3 First the standard liquid, 10% ethyl
alcohol seawater-solution saturated with menthol,
was prepared. Then, the standard liquid was
diluted to 40% with seawater, and used as the
anesthetizer immediately. Test animals were indi-
vidually immersed in 1–3 L of anesthetizer for
10–170 min. All experiments were carried out at
7.3–19.4°C.
RESULTS
L for the 200 measurements of every animal fluc-
tuated considerably and R was 0.25–0.93 (average
0.62) and 0.25–0.98 (average, 0.62) in the green and
the black types, respectively. In B, R was 0.05–0.77
(average 0.31) and 0.05–0.68 (average 0.28) in the
green and the black types, respectively.
The relationship between L and B was signifi-
cantly negatively correlated in all individuals
(green type, τ= −0.87 − −0.42, n = 200, P < 0.001;
black type, τ= −0.93 − −0.45, n = 200, P < 0.001;
Fig. 1). If the relation is inversely proportional, L·B
is constant and becomes an indicator of body size
of A. japonicus. We applied the multiplicative func-
tion “Y = aXb” and the linear function “Y = a + bX”
to them, and both regressions for the two color
types were statistically significant (Table 1; Fig. 1).
The result suggests that the relation is not an

Table 1 Regression equations between body length (X, mm) and body breadth (Y, mm) for the Japanese sea cucumber
Apostichopus japonicus†
a b r2
Color Formula Av. SD c.v. Av. SD c.v. n Av. SD c.v. P
Green Y = a + bX 51.7 25.4 0.49 −0.20 0.05 −0.25 200 0.77 0.10 0.13 <0.001
Y = a·Xb 835.1 1031.3 1.24 −0.66 0.12 −0.18 200 0.77 0.10 0.13 <0.001
Black Y = a + bX 47.1 24.3 0.52 −0.21 0.05 −0.25 200 0.78 0.11 0.14 <0.001
Y = a·Xb 886.0 1038.3 1.17 −0.71 0.13 −0.18 200 0.79 0.11 0.13 <0.001

Av., average; c.v., coefficient of variance.

†
Measured 200 times for each of the 150 individuals of the green and the black types.
New size measurement for A. japonicus FISHERIES SCIENCE 587

Fig. 1 Relationship between

body length (L) and body breadth
(B) of the (a) green and (b) black
types of the Japanese sea cucum-
ber Apostichopus japonicus.
Three typical individuals, small,
middle-sized, and large animals,
were plotted for each color type. L
and B were simultaneously mea-
sured 200 times per individual.

Fig. 2 Size frequency distribu-

tions of typical middle-sized ani-
mals in the (a) green and (b) black
types of the Japanese sea cucum-
ber Apostichopus japonicus. Body
length (L) and body breadth (B)
were simultaneously measured
200 times per individual and
√(L·B), calculated. Test animals
were the same as the middle-
sized individuals in Figure 1.

inverse proportion but almost a linear relation. Le = 1.34 + 2.12 × √(L·B)

Thus, R of √(L·B) was calculated to judge whether (n = 150, r 2 = 0.98, P < 0.001), (4)
the value can be useful as a new body size mea-
where L and B were measured in mm (Fig. 3). Sig-
surement or not; R = 0.06–0.25 (average 0.17) and
nificant differences were observed between the
0.06–0.40 (average 0.16) in the green and the black
two types from equations 3 and 4 (ANCOVA, slope
types, respectively. These R were smaller than
P < 0.05, intercept P < 0.001).
those of L and B. The √(L·B) had a normal distribu-
The R of Le were 0.06–0.28 (average 0.17) and
tion with a small deviation (coefficient of variance,
0.06–0.39 (average 0.16) in the green and the black
0.01–0.06 for both color types; Fig. 2). Therefore
types, respectively. They were approximately one-
√(L·B) is useful as a basic expression of body size of
quarter of the R of L and half of the R of B for both
A. japonicus.
color types. The range of coefficient of variance of
For calculating Le from √(L·B) the regression
Le was small: 0.01–0.06 (average 0.03), for both
equations were calculated between La and √(L·B),
color types. Thus, Le were nearly constant regard-
which was the average of 200 values of √(L·B) as
less of the animals’ extending and contracting of
follows.
the body, and the Le were very similar to the La
Green type:
(Fig. 4). These error (E) values for individuals were
Le = 2.32 + 2.02 × √(L·B) 1.0–29.7 mm and 0.7–32.1 mm, and 1.4–24.5%
(n = 150, r 2 = 0.97, P < 0.001); (3) (average 6.4%) and 1.3–31.1% (average 5.9%) of the
Le for the green and the black types, respectively.
and black type: The maximum value of |Le–La|, which was calcu-
588 FISHERIES SCIENCE
lated 200 times for each individual, was 46.8 mm
(La = 203 mm, average of Le = 173.3 mm) and
48.7 mm (La = 237 mm, average of Le = 208.8 mm)
for the green and the black types, respectively.
Regression equations from W to Le and from Le
to W were also calculated.
For green type:
Le = 32.3 × W 0.33 (n = 150, r 2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) (5)
W = 3.62 × 10−5 × Le 2.98
(n = 150, r 2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) (6)
and for the black type:
Le = 33.1 × W 0.33 (n = 150, r 2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) (7)
W = 3.83 × 10−5 × Le2.93
(n = 150, r 2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) (8)
where W were measured in grams (Fig. 5). The
ANCOVA showed that the equations were different
for the two color types, that is, equations 5 and 7,
and 6 and 8 (P > 0.05 in slopes and P < 0.001 in
intercepts).
Y Yamana and T Hamano
Fig. 3 Relationship between
√(L·B) and La of the (a) green
(n = 150, r2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) and
(b) black (n = 150, r2 = 0.98,
P < 0.001) types of the Japanese
sea cucumber Apostichopus
japonicus. L: body length, B: body
breadth, La: measured anesthe-
tized body length. (- - -), 95% con-
fidence limits.
Fig. 4 Size frequency distribu-
tions of typical middle-sized ani-
mals in the (a) green and (b) black
types of the Japanese sea cucum-
ber Apostichopus japonicus. Body
length (L) and estimated anesthe-
tized body length (Le), were
measured 200 times. Arrows indi-
cate measured anesthetized body
length (La). Test animals were the
same of the middle animals in
Figures 1 and 2.
DISCUSSION
In the present study, L and B could be measured
easily from the photograph. They varied in a clear
relationship for each individual (Fig. 1), and a lin-
ear relation was found between √(L·B) and La. L
and B fluctuated considerably following extension
and contraction of animals, while variances of
√(L·B) were small. There must be many other indi-
cators of body size that can be calculated from L
and B, but we did not discuss them because of the
simplicity of √(L·B), which was considered to be
applicable in the field. The animal has no quick
movement, so the Le can be obtained immediately
during diving surveys without sampling, and also
can be obtained from photographs such as in this
study. Furthermore, the error (E) values between
Le and La of the standard body length were small
(average 6.4% and average 5.9% of Le in the green
and the black types, respectively). From these, the
Le calculated from equations 3 and 4 is suggested
as a potential standard size measurement for
A. japonicus. Conversion from Le to wet weight is
also possible.
New size measurement for A. japonicus FISHERIES SCIENCE
Fig. 5 Relationship between wet
weight (W ) and measured anes-
thetized body length (La) of the
(a) green (n = 150, r 2 = 0.97,
P < 0.001) and (b) black (n = 150,
r2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) types of the
Japanese sea cucumber Aposti-
chopus japonicus. (- - -), 95% con-
fidence limits.
The body volume of active A. japonicus, calcu-
lated by a formula, the body length × (the body
beadth)2 has been previously suggested.5 It was
based on observations of changes of shape, in
which the animal became gradually slender, during
its extension. The body volume seems to be rela-
tively stable to body extension, but the water stor-
age in the respiratory tree is a problem that remains
to be clarified.6 Yamamoto et al. showed that the
water suction mechanism of A. japonicus is con-
ducted by a pumping movement of the cloaca
without extending the body.7 Therefore, the body
volume is not appropriate to indicate body size.
It is generally noted that the red type differs in
various properties from the other two color types.
For example, the body is extremely flexible in the
red type, which immediately takes a globular shape
when pricked with forceps, but the green and the
black do not have such extreme flexibility.8 The red
type was not used in the present study, but its
regression formulae will be obtained in the same
way as in the present study. In the green and the
black types the regression equations were consid-
ered to be significantly different, and differences
between the red and other two color types are also
expected. In addition to this, the green types in
Hokkaido may be different in flexibility because
the green type has a very hard epidermis there,
therefore regional differences in the equations will
be expected.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Dr T. Handa and Mr K. Miki of Tana
Marine Biological Laboratory of the National Fish-
589
eries University for helpful suggestions and assis-
tance during this study. We also thank all members
of our ARAGIMO Laboratory of National Fisheries
University.
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