Sea Cucumber

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Context

Sea Cucumbers worth Rs. 47.25 lakh seized by Indian Coast Guard Mandapam station in Ramanathapuram district.

About Sea Cucumbers

Class: Holothuroidea

Status: Not Listed

Classification: Invertebrate

Description

Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contains starfish and sea urchins.
Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding.
One way that sea cucumbers can confuse or harm predators is by propelling their own toxic internal organs from their bodies in the direction of an attacker. The organs grow back, and it may save them from being eaten.
Depending on the species, sea cucumbers normally vary in size from less than an inch to over six feet.

Range

Sea cucumbers are found in virtually all marine environments throughout the world, from shallow to deep-sea environments.
Sea cucumbers are benthic, meaning they live on the ocean floor.
However, their larvae are planktonic, meaning they float in the ocean with the currents.

Diet

Sea cucumbers are scavengers that feed on small food items in the benthic zone (seafloor), as well as plankton floating in the water column.
Algae, aquatic invertebrates, and waste particles make up their diet.
They eat with tube feet that surround their mouths.

Conservation

FUN FACT

When disturbed, sea cucumbers can expose skeletal hooklike structures that make them harder for predators to eat.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q) Which of the following statements with reference to Sea Cucumber is/are incorrect?

a. Sea cucumbers are benthic whereas their larvae are planktonic.

b. Sea cucumbers are scavengers but regarded as delicacies in some countries.

Correct Answer: 4