Pink Sea Cucumber (Holothuria edulis)

Holothuria edulis wears its ID right on its skin — a pink upper surface fading to black underneath, an easy way to tell it apart from the uniformly dark H. atra it often sits next to in the tank. It processes sand the same way most sifting cucumbers do, working through substrate to strip out detritus and leave cleaner sand behind, and it's just as capable of releasing sticky Cuvierian tubules or harmful compounds if it's badly stressed or dies unnoticed. Keep it away from pump intakes and let it work the sand bed at its own unhurried pace.

Care level: Easy · Temperament: Peaceful · Max size: ~10" · Min tank: 40 gal, mature · Reef safe: Yes · Diet: Detritivore, sifts sand