Pink & Yellow Cucumber

Cercodemas anceps

A note on the name. Several small cucumbers get sold as “yellow” or “pink and yellow,” and they are easily mixed up. This one is Cercodemas anceps — frequently listed under its synonym Pentacta anceps, and sold as the Pink and Yellow Spiny Sea Cucumber — a pink, warty-bodied animal with yellow tentacles. The plain bright-yellow filter feeder sold alongside it is a different species, the Yellow Sea Cucumber (Colochirus robustus).

Identification	A stout, salmon-pink body studded with darker red warty tubercles and spiny projections, crowned at the front with a spray of bright yellow-orange feeding tentacles — the pink body and yellow tentacles together are what the “Pink & Yellow” trade name refers to. Also sold as the Pink and Yellow Spiny Sea Cucumber, the Pink Warty Sea Cucumber, or the Red Box Sea Cucumber.
Maximum Length	Up to 8 inches
Origin	Indo-Pacific
Minimum Tank Size	30 gallons
Reef Compatibility	Excellent

Behavior

Peaceful deposit feeder. Moves slowly across the substrate and through sand, processing organic material. Reef-safe and generally ignored by fish and invertebrates.

Diet & Feeding

Deposit feeder. Ingests substrate and extracts organic matter, bacteria, and detritus. Helps turn over and aerate the sand bed.

Cautions

All sea cucumbers can release defensive compounds (Holothurin) if severely stressed or injured — though this species is less toxic than others. Avoid copper treatments. Do not expose to air.