Sea cucumber as food  Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the class Holothuroidea. They are used in fresh or dried form in various cuisines. In some cultural contexts the sea cucumber is thought to have medicinal value. The creature and the food product are commonly known as "bêche-de-mer" in French, from Portuguese "bicho do mar" (literally "sea worm"), "trepang" (or "trīpang") in Indonesian, "namako" in Japanese, "balatan" in Tagalog, "loli" in Hawaiian and "deniz patlicani" in Turkish . In Malay, it is known as the "gamat". Most cultures in East and Southeast Asia regard sea cucumbers as a delicacy. A number of dishes are made with sea cucumber, and in most dishes it has a slippery texture. Common ingredients that go with sea cucumber dishes include winter melon, conpoy, "kai-lan", shiitake mushroom, and Chinese cabbage. Sea cucumbers destined for food are traditionally harvested by hand from small watercraft, a process called "trepanging" after the Indonesian "trepang". They are dried for preservation, and must be rehydrated by boiling and soaking in water for several days. They are mainly used as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine soups or stews. Many commercially important species of sea cucumber are harvested and dried for export for use in Chinese cuisine as 海参 (pinyin: hǎishēn). Some of the more commonly found species in markets include:   Western Australia has sea cucumber fisheries from Exmouth to the border of the Northern Territory; almost all of the catch is sandfish ("Holothuria scabra"). The fishing of the various species known as "bêche-de-mer" is regulated by state and federal legislation. Five other species are targeted in the state's "bêche-de-mer harvest", these are "Holothuria nobilis" (white teatfish), "Holothuria whitmaei" (black fish), "Thelenota ananas" (prickly redfish), "Actinopyga echninitis" (deep-water redfish), and "Holothuria atra" (lolly fish). In the far north of Queensland, Australia, sea cucumber are harvested from the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Targeted species include "Holothuria noblis" (white teatfish), "Holothuria whitmaei" (black teatfish) and "H. scabra" (sand fish).