Comment on supposed holothurian body fossils from the middle Ordovician of Wales (Botting and Muir, Palaeontologia Electronica: 15.1.9A)

Smith, Andrew B.; Reich, Mike; Zamora, Samuel

doi:10.26879/349

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The oldest undisputed fossil evidence of sea cucumbers dates from the late Silurian period approximately 400 million years ago (Gilliland, 1993), with another controversial record from approximately 460 million years (Botting and Muir, 2012;Smith et al, 2013). Over 1,400 sea cucumber (Echinodermata: Eleutherozoa: Holothuroidea) species belonging to 160 genera are described worldwide (Smiley et al, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Sea Cucumber Aquaculture, Ranching, and Stock Enhancement in China

Han

Keesing

Liu

2016

Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture

179

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sea cucumber aquaculture has flourished as a result of increasing demand coupled with declining wild fisheries and has been facilitated by technical progress in the production and grow-out phase of larvae and small juvenile sea cucumbers. China has developed a large and successful sea cucumber aquaculture industry based on the temperate species Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867). China consumes most of its domestic sea cucumber production (193, 705 tons: 2013), exporting only a few dozen tons. Much of the success of sea cucumber aquaculture in China came from advances in culture methods, especially for the early stages of broodstock conditioning, larval production and settlement, and the critical early juvenile development stage. These artificial approaches to production are a precondition for all aquaculture models, and the scientific procedures and management protocols must be strictly adhered to for success. Similarly, the growout phase of sea cucumber production in China has evolved from attempts using disused fish and shrimp ponds to new, dedicated ponds developed to meet the more sensitive requirements of sea cucumbers for water quality and substrate type and to the use of ocean ranching. Various diseases have affected this industry and become barriers to its sustainable development. To achieve higher survival rates and better production quality, the trend has been toward ocean ranching of sea cucumbers and stock enhancement, and production levels have increased significantly in recent years. While cost-effective methods for sea cucumber aquaculture close to their point of consumption is good news for wild stocks of sea cucumbers in different parts of the world, there is a potential downside in the environmental impact of such extensive production methods. The influence of sea cucumber aquaculture on the environment and the influence of the environment on sea cucumber aquaculture are important issues relating to ecological security and sustainability.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Sea Cucumber Aquaculture, Ranching, and Stock Enhancement in China

Han

Keesing

Liu

2016

Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture

179

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Reply to: Smith et al., "Comment on supposed holothurian body fossils from the middle Ordovician of Wales (Botting and Muir, Palaeontologia Electronica: 15.1.9A)"

Botting

Muir

2013

Palaeontol electronic

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The comment by Smith et al. rejects a previous interpretation of Middle Ordovician fossils as holothurians. This rejection is based on the use of inappropriate techniques to study the fossils, and insufficient consideration of their taphonomy. The fossils can be shown not to be sponges (the suggested alternative interpretation), and despite the taphonomic limitations, do show echinoderm characters such as the pentagonal oral ring and ambulacral structures.

show abstract

Comment on supposed holothurian body fossils from the middle Ordovician of Wales (Botting and Muir, Palaeontologia Electronica: 15.1.9A)

Abstract: Light and SEM study of body fossils from the Middle Ordovician of Wales recently described as the oldest articulated holothurians by Botting and Muir (Palaeontologia Electronica Article number: 15.1.9A) finds no traits that allow them to be assigned to the Echinodermata.

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

A Review of Sea Cucumber Aquaculture, Ranching, and Stock Enhancement in China

A Review of Sea Cucumber Aquaculture, Ranching, and Stock Enhancement in China

Reply to: Smith et al., "Comment on supposed holothurian body fossils from the middle Ordovician of Wales (Botting and Muir, Palaeontologia Electronica: 15.1.9A)"

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About