Synaptula

Synaptula is a genus of sea cucumbers, in the family Synaptidae.

Synaptula
Synaptula cf. lamperti (sea cucumber) on Plakortis sp. (chicken liver sponge)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Holothuroidea
Order:	Apodida
Family:	Synaptidae
Genus:	Synaptula Oersted, 1849

This genus contains many species, most of them whitish, often associated with sponges. However, they are extremely difficult to identify from sight, and many tropical Indo-Pacific are referred to as Synaptula lamperti, which is often the only species named by touristic guides.

List of species

The genus contains the following species:

• Synaptula alba Heding, 1928
• Synaptula albolineata Heding, 1928
• Synaptula ater Heding, 1928
• Synaptula bandae Heding, 1928
• Synaptula denticulata Heding, 1928
• Synaptula hydriformis (Lesueur, 1824)
• Synaptula indivisa (Semper, 1867)
• Synaptula jolensis Heding, 1928
• Synaptula lactea (Sluiter, 1887)
• Synaptula lamperti Heding, 1928
• Synaptula macra (H. L. Clark, 1938)
• Synaptula maculata (Sluiter, 1887)
• Synaptula madreporica Heding, 1928
• Synaptula media Cherbonnier & Féral, 1984
• Synaptula minima Heding, 1928
• Synaptula mortensenii Heding, 1929
• Synaptula neirensis Heding, 1928
• Synaptula psara (Sluiter, 1887)
• Synaptula reciprocans (Forskal, 1775)
• Synaptula recta (Semper, 1867)
• Synaptula reticulata (Semper, 1867)
• Synaptula rosea Heding, 1928
• Synaptula rosetta Heding, 1928
• Synaptula secreta Ancona Lopez, 1957
• Synaptula spinifera Massin & Tomascik, 1996
• Synaptula tualensis Heding, 1928
• Synaptula varians (Nair, 1946)
• Synaptula violacea Heding, 1928
• Synaptula virgata (Sluiter, 1901)

• 
  Synaptula hydriformis
• 
  Synaptula cf. lamperti
• 
  Synaptula media
• 
  Synaptula reciprocans
• 
  Synaptula recta
• 
  Unidentified Synaptula