What Is a Sea Cucumber?

The sea cucumber is a marine animal with a long body and leathery skin that dwells in the seabed of all ocean bodies. Sea cucumbers belong to the phylum Echinodermata. They are found in abundance in shallow waters of tropical coral reefs.

  1. Features

    • Sea cucumbers belong to the class Holothuroidea. They are scavengers that feed on plankton and decaying organic matter found in the bottom of the sea. They communicate with each other using hormone signals through the water. They reproduce sexually and asexually. The special feature of the sea cucumber's body is the catch collagen that forms the body wall. The body wall can be tightened and loosened at will, and the sea cucumber can liquefy itself to get into narrow openings.

    Types

    • The three common types of sea cucumber are the white star cucumber, the California cucumber and the warty chestnut cucumber.

    Defense

    • Sea cucumbers defend themselves by expelling sticky threads to entrap the enemy. Some sea cucumbers defend themselves by contracting their muscles and throwing specialized internal organs through the anus. The organs regenerate quickly after mutilation.

    Food

    • Sea cucumbers are delicacies in Chinese cuisine. The Chinese poach the cucumbers and smother them in a garlic, onion, ginger and soy sauce called Hoi Sam. Sea cucumbers are stuffed with pork and dried fish. In Spain they are eaten with olive oil and salt. Sea cucumbers are also pickled.

    Pharmaceutical Uses

    • An extract of sea cucumbers is used to make topical applications like oils and creams. They are also used as dietary supplements because of their anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant properties.