ABSTRACT
Holothurians are commonly called as sea cucumbers or sea slugs. The important echinoderms consumed either fresh or boiled by Japanese, Koreans and Chinese. China, probably, first country where people considered sea cucumbers as culinary delicacy/tonic food. Sea cucumbers being detritus feeders, feed on waste shrimp feed & organic matter on pond bottom, reducing organic pollution load in the farm. Most important commercial species is Holothuria scabra, whose continuous exploitation led to depletion of natural populations. Being an ecofriendly practice that also, provides an additional income to the farmer, it is expected to become popular among farmers who have been facing problems of shrimp disease outbreaks in the recent past. Other commercially important species like Holothuria nobilis in Lakshadweep should be tried for seed production. Culture practices have to be taken up in sea cucumbers in large scale in India for earning foreign exchange.
