Stock assessment of white teatfish (Holothuria fuscogilva) in Queensland, Australia, with data to December 2025

Abstract

The Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery (QSCF) operates on the Great Barrier Reef. Within the QSCF, white teatfish, Holothuria fuscogilva, contribute a significant portion of the current annual catches and have one of the highest selling prices, making them a very important species for the fishery. The white teatfish fishery is generally considered to have commenced in 1995. White teatfish have separate sexes and a lifespan potentially in the range of several decades. White teatfish mature at a relatively large size, with 50% of animals mature by 32 cm or 1.175 kg.
A previous assessment estimated the stock in 2021 to be at 78% of unfished levels in 1995. Several key aspects of this assessment differ from the previous assessment. Firstly, the present assessment was performed using Stock Synthesis whereas the previous assessment was performed using an age-structured surplus production model. Secondly, the biological parameters have been updated. Thirdly, the current assessment used whole wet weight units for catch, whereas the previous assessment used landed (i.e. salted) weight. Finally, the present assessment included surveyed estimates of biomass that were not available when the previous assessment was undertaken.
The assessment used an age-structured Stock Synthesis model with an annual time step, fitted to standardised catch rates, length composition data and biomass survey data. The model incorporated data spanning the period 1995–2025, collected from the commercial sector and fishery independent surveys.
The results of this assessment indicated that the biomass ratio at the start of 2026 was between 67% and 115% of an assumed unfished state in 1995.