Sea cucumbers (class Holothuroidea) are in the phylum Echinodermata. They are often confused with sea slugs because of their elongate, "slug like" shape and are referred to by the common name "sea slug" in some other regions of the Indo-Pacific. Like other echinoderms, they have calcareous spicules or plates in their body walls and most move be means of many small tube feet. The mouth is surrounded by a ring of branched tentacles used to collect the detritus that they eat and they often deposit a string of sausage-like fecal pellets. Some species eject sticky white tubules from the anus when disturbed (as a defensive measure). A few of the species most frequently mistaken for sea slugs:

Actinopyga varians CP: Hekili Point, Maui; April 12, 2008	Holothuria atra CP: Hekili Point, Maui; April 10, 2008	Holothuria hilla CP: Hekili Point, Maui; April 10, 2008
Holothuria impatiens CP: June 11, 2003	Polyplectana kefersteini CP: March 20, 2005	Stichopus horrens CP: Hekili Point, Maui; April 6, 2008
	Juvenile Holothuria(?) sp. CP: Kapalua Bay, Maui March 28, 2014

For more information see:   John Hoover's sea cucumber page   Keoki Stender's sea cucumber page   Gustav Paulay's Guam sea cucumbers   Sea cucumbers on the Sea Slug Forum Kwajalein sea cucumbers by Scott & Jeanette Johnson