Addressing research gaps in tropical sea cucumber (Holothuria scabra) aquaculture- A microbiome approach

Sea cucumbers (holothurians) belong to the phylum Echinodermata. They are exclusively marine, slow moving and reside on the sea bottom thereby sucking sediments from the sea-floor rich in organic matter for their survival, growth, and reproduction. Sea cucumbers are an expensive seafood delicacy that forms an integral part of Southeast Asian cuisine. The Chinese people consume sea cucumbers since ancient times due to their medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. The dried and processed form commonly known as bêche-de-mer or trepang, is currently the highest priced commodity in international markets like China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. To meet the growing market demand, aquaculture of these commercially valuable sea cucumbers should be considered, though there lies a knowledge gap related to optimized feeding. Studies reveal that sea cucumbers intake microbes (mainly bacteria) from the sea sediment as one of their important sources of nutrition. It is yet unknown how these animals’ control and utilize bacteria derived from ocean floor sediment. It also remains unexplained of the probable functional roles of bacteria in sea cucumber nutrition and metabolism (digestive physiology). This report will emphasize on different proposed methods that could improve sustainable farming of this species, by studying the microbiomes and their future implications.