No, really--this is an earth life form! A Hawaiian spiky sea cucumber (Stichopus sp.) One of our many endemic species

Hawaiian yellow tip sea cucumber (Stichopus sp.). Just as with the Hawaiian spiky sea cucumber, this bizzare and interesting Stichopodidan is not yet fully classified, and only found in the Hawaiian islands.

This is a Lion's Paw sea cucumber (Euapta godeffroyi), the first one I've ever seen or photographed. As you can see, E. godeffroyi (like others in the family Synaptidae) is really enlongate...this one was well over a meter in length, and I had trouble fitting it in frame while still lighting it with my strobe. As you'll see in the subsequent photos, E. godeffroyi has the ability to contract for defense...

...now shortened to less than half its original length, probably in reaction to the light from my strobe. The feeding tentacles have retracted as well.

Hawaiian yellow tip sea cucumber? (Stichopus Sp 2 undescribed)

Black-spotted sea cucumber (Holothuroidea sp. undescribed)

The extended feeding tentacles of a Lion's paw sea cucumber (Euapta godeffroyi)

A White-spotted sea cucumber (Actinopyga mauritiana) clinging to the reef wall. This species prefers areas of strong current and surge, and the back wall of Molokini Islet certainly qualifies...

Two small Keferstein's sea cucumbers (Polyplectana kefersteini)...I'd never seen this species before, but areas of the reef were literally covered with these small Synaptidae on this particular dive...

I believe this to be a Stubborn sea cucumber (Holothuria pervicax), or else a Hawaiian yellow-tip sea cucumber (Stichopus sp.2) with atypical coloration, but I'm not certain...I saw many of these bizzare creatures on this dive, engaged in the strange behavior pictured here--the individuals would crawl to the top of a reef pinnacle, stiffen their bodies and lengthen the protrusions on their surface into points, then wave back and forth in the water emitting whitish material...I can only assume they were spawning.