Thelenota anax

The body of T. anax can be a creamy beige or light brown with dark brown or red spots. It usually has light colored bumps on the top of its body. T. anax also has large with papillae located laterally on its body. On its ventral surface there is long white podia. Its mouth is also located ventrally with 18-20 peltate tentacles. The anus is located on the dorsal side of the animal towards the terminal end. Their average length is about 69 cm long, but the longest recorded sea cucumber was 89 cm long.{{cite book | vauthors = Purcell SW, Samyn Y, Conand C |title=Commercially Important Sea Cucumbers of the World | date = 2012 | series = FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 6 | location = Rome |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |isbn=978-92-5-106719-2 |url= http://www.fao.org/3/i1918e/i1918e00.htm }} Some of the biggest sea cucumber can weigh up to 5 kg.{{cite report | vauthors = Kerr AM, Netchy K, Gawel AM | title = Survey of the shallow-water sea cucumbers of the central Philippines. | quote = A Report to the Municipalities of Negros Oriental, Cebu and Bohol, local Bantay Dagat groups, Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Inc., and Silliman University-Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management. | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268346778 | publisher = University Of Guam Marine Laboratory | date = 30 June 2006 }} It also has two gonads that are approximately 70-500mm long.{{Cite journal|last= Lamberson |first = Janet O. | name-list-style = vanc |date=June 1978|title=Marshall Islands 96737 |journal=Mid-Pacific Marine Laboratory Enewetak |volume=14 }}

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Thelenota anax prefers to live on soft, sandy portions of the ocean floor at depths greater than 25 m.{{Cite journal| vauthors = Zulfigar Y, Sim YK, Aileen Tan SH |date=2007 |title=The Distribution of Sea Cucumbers in Pulau Aur, Johore, Malaysia |url= https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/handle/2433/70908|journal=Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory |volume=8 |pages=73–86 |doi=10.5134/70908|issn=0389-6609|doi-access=free }} Some can be found on the sides of reef slopes.

Some organism can often be found living on the outside of Thelenota anax. A few common species found on T.anax are scaleworms and gastropods.{{cite journal | vauthors = Purcell SW, Hammond A, Meyers L | title = Ectocommensals of the stichopodid sea cucumbers Thelenota anaxand Stichopus vastuson the northern Great Barrier Reef | journal = SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin | volume = 40 | date = March 2020 | url = https://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/BDM/40/BDM40_20_Purcell.pdf }} The sea cucumber does not appear to be negatively affected by these ectocommensal species.

Many species of sea cucumbers are sold for human consumption as "beche-de-mer". In the Solomon Islands, where Thelenota anax is commonly harvested, it has a commercial value of around $6.66 per kg .{{cite journal | vauthors = Buckius C, Albert S, Tibbetts I, Udy J | title = Effect of diel activity patterns and harvesting pressure on the diversity and biomass of sea cucumbers in Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands | journal = Environmental Management | volume = 45 | issue = 5 | pages = 963–73 | date = May 2010 | pmid = 20349313 | doi = 10.1007/s00267-010-9469-3 | bibcode = 2010EnMan..45..963B | s2cid = 206942365 }} It is one of the less expensive species of sea cucumbers, but is one of the more commonly exported species because of its high body mass.{{cite journal | vauthors = Purcell SW | title = Value, market preferences and trade of Beche-de-mer from Pacific Island sea cucumbers | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 9 | issue = 4 | pages = e95075 | date = 2014 | pmid = 24736374 | pmc = 3988149 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0095075 | bibcode = 2014PLoSO...995075P | doi-access = free }}

T. anax is commonly consumed in Asian and Middle Eastern countries for its purported medicinal benefits, although research into its effects are ongoing. T. anax produces many different bioactive compounds such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. These compounds are known to reduce the risk of coronary disease, some cancers, and have anti-inflammatory properties Specifically arachidonic acid promotes blood clotting and wound healing.{{cite journal | vauthors = Wen J, Zeng L | title = Use of species-specific PCR for the identification of 10 sea cucumber species. | journal = Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology | date = November 2014 | volume = 32 | issue = 6 | pages = 1257–63 | doi = 10.1007/s00343-015-4050-9 | bibcode = 2014ChJOL..32.1257W | s2cid = 86011336 }} This is why many Asian countries use T.anax to treat burns and cuts.

Studies have also shown that T. anax produces glycosides Stichopside C (STC) and Stichoposide D (STD).{{cite journal | vauthors = Mondol MA, Shin HJ, Rahman MA, Islam MT | title = Sea Cucumber Glycosides: Chemical Structures, Producing Species and Important Biological Properties | journal = Marine Drugs | volume = 15 | issue = 10 | pages = 317| date = October 2017 | pmid = 29039760 | pmc = 5666425 | doi = 10.3390/md15100317 | doi-access = free }} STC makes Ceramide, which is a tumor suppressor lipid. It also causes the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells and leukemia cells. STD causes the apoptosis of only leukemia cells and inhibits its growth.{{cite journal | vauthors = Yun SH, Shin SW, Stonik VA, Park JI | title = Ceramide as a Target of Marine Triterpene Glycosides for Treatment of Human Myeloid Leukemia | journal = Marine Drugs | volume = 14 | issue = 11 | pages = 205| date = November 2016 | pmid = 27827870 | pmc = 5128748 | doi = 10.3390/md14110205 | doi-access = free }}

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Category:Stichopodidae