Sea Cucumber
Holothuria floridana
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A soft, sausage-shaped relative of sea stars, usually found half-buried on grass flats.
- Typical size
- 4–10 in
- How often it turns up
- Common on grass flats
- Collecting
- Protected, do not collect
- Handling
- May be alive
Leave living sea cucumbers where you find them; several areas restrict their collection.
Handle gently or not at all — stress makes them expel their organs. Return them to the water.
How to tell it apart
- Leathery, sausage-shaped body
- Warty or bumpy skin, brown to grey
- Ring of feeding tentacles at one end
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for tidepool life. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Bathtub Reef Beach · Stuart
- Anne's Beach · Islamorada
- Bahia Honda State Park · Big Pine Key
- Bathtub Beach · Stuart
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Curry Hammock State Park · Marathon
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park · Key West
- Harry Harris Park · Tavernier
- Higgs Beach · Key West
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park · Key Largo
- Long Key State Park · Long Key
- Marineland Beach · Marineland
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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More tidepool life in the field guide
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