Obtaining a Biometric Index for Juveniles and Adults of Holothuria inornata (Semper, 1868)

The sea cucumber Holothuria inornata (H. inornata) is a species at risk in Mexico. To help protect this species, it is important to provide information related to biological and fisheries management. The present study aimed to predict the weight of the sea cucumber (H. inornata) using biometric measurements such as wet weight and dry weight. A total of 267 H. inornata were manually collected from El Borrego Beach in the municipality of San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico. Species identification involved characterizing calcareous ladders. Each specimen was sedated using xylazine 10%, and measurements were taken out of water with a digital scale. Multiple linear regressions were performed, with size serving as the independent variable and wet weight, dry weight, and humidity percentage as dependent variables. A general equation was developed to predict the wet weight of the H. inornata at the juvenile stage. For correlations based on dry weight, the following equations were established. In immature adults, including dry weight, the equation was 0.0019 × (length^1.6479); and in mature adults, including dry weight, it was 0.0053 × (length^1.5362). The biometric parameters used for weight estimation exhibited a high degree of correlation with actual weight. Wet weight was the biometric parameter that showed the best fit among the studied parameters. Utilizing these biometric indices facilitates the recording of wet and dry weights for interested parties, thereby supporting population and biomass evaluations within the H. inornata fishery and aquaculture sectors.