What Does a Glowing Sea Cucumber Look Like?

Glowing sea cucumbers are ocean dwellers and live on the ocean floor and are sometimes partially buried beneath it. There are 1,250 known species of glowing sea cucumbers. They are echinoderms (marine invertebrates), like sea urchins and starfish.

  1. Facts

    • Glowing sea cucumbers are the most common animals on the ocean floor and they move slowly by using their tiny tube feet, collecting food in its sticky tentacles.

    Shape

    • Glowing sea cucumbers are indeed shaped like a cucumber. There bodies are soft, allowing them to have flexibility to move along the ocean floor.

    Appearance

    • Glowing sea cucumbers are covered in bumps, bristles, spines and they glow in the dark to distract predators. They have leathery skin and the appearance can be compared to that of a gherkin.

    Size

    • The glowing sea cucumber can grow up to 16 inches long and they live at seafloor level of up to 1,300 feet.

    Color

    • Glowing sea cucumbers can differ in color. Depending on the species, the color ranges from green to reddish brown to black.