Sea cucumber

sea ​​cucumber

Today we do not come to talk about a fish as we do most of the time. Today we find something known, but unknown at the same time. Its about sea ​​cucumber. It is an animal whose body is shaped like a worm and lives on the seabed of practically the whole world. Currently about 1400 species are known, so it is worth a thorough analysis.

Do you want to know more about sea cucumber? Read on and you will learn everything about him.

Key features

sea ​​cucumber in motion

The sea cucumber belongs to the phylum of the echinoderms and to the holothuroids class. The name of sea cucumber comes from the great similarity that exists with the vegetable, although it is an animal and not a plant.

What stands out the most about this echinoderm is the shape and texture of its skin. It treats a texture as if it were leather, but with a jelly-like appearance. At first glance it is an animal that could be mistaken for a slug. Depending on the species its length can vary. However, it can be said that the average is about 20 cm in length. There are sea cucumbers with sizes less than one cm or even larger ones.

The skin for which the sea cucumber is so special has the color of several types. We can find it in brown, olive green or black and it has a leathery texture. Depending on the species this can vary a bit. The worm-like appearance that it has makes it able to adapt to the seabed without any problem for its survival.

We must remember that on the seabed the water pressure is much higher, so many species end up having a gelatinous texture that helps them survive in these environments. If not, let's remember drop fish as one of the ugliest in the world only because of its texture that gives it that rare shape.

The sea cucumber has an external wall of its body formed by collagen that allows it to modify its shape according to the pressure of the water that is present at all times. Thanks to this ability to expand or contract your body at will it is able to enter or leave the crevices of the shelters where they hide from predators.

Habitat and area of ​​distribution

sea ​​cucumber in a man's hand

These animals use all the tube feet they have in order to spread out over the largest possible territory. These feet have sensitive functions that help them to know all the things around them to see if they are in danger or not.

Like we have already said, can live in almost any marine environment, since they are spread almost throughout the planet. However, they can be found more frequently in shallow salty waters. It reaches its maximum population in areas close to coral reefs.

The home considered safe by these animals is in the interstitial environment. Therefore, it is dangerous for them when the tide goes out and they have to go to deeper waters near the ocean trenches. It is in this area where it is safest.

Depending on the species we are analyzing, we can find benthic animals that are dedicated to digging up food in soft sediments or others that can swim and be members of plankton. For this they move thanks to the force of the water currents.

To feel safe are placed in crevices or buried in soft substrates. This way they can hide from predators and not be seen by the light.

Regarding its distribution area, we find a very large area. It can be found throughout the Asian part of the Pacific Ocean with large numbers of individuals. Its ability to spread through numerous ecosystems is due to its ability to adapt to different altitudes and temperatures.

Sea cucumber diet

sea ​​cucumber excreting

This species of slug can feed on debris, algae or part of the plankton and waste materials found on the seabed. To feed, they collect all the superficial sediments that fall thanks to the use of their extended tentacles on the surface of the seabed.

To ingest the food, they use their tube-shaped feet to carry out an excavation process in the substrate. The tentacles that it has in its mouth are covered by mucus that helps them capture the food that is in suspension after making the excavation.

Once the sediments have entered the mouth, they pass inside where they are taken to the small intestine for digestion. As is to be expected, once you have processed the food and obtained the necessary nutrients for your body, you dispose of what is of no use to you in the form of sludge and waste.

For this curious way of living we can say that its functionality in marine ecosystems is that of cleaning the substrates and enriching the soil with their depositions. A large number of these animals cause environmental conditions to change their physical and chemical characteristics.

In addition, by breaking down food into such small sizes, they help bacteria to serve as food.

Reproduction

sea ​​cucumber characteristics

To finish with the information on the sea cucumber, we are going to talk about its reproduction. The reproductive process of these animals is carried out externally. That is, although some species are placental viviparous, it is generally that the formation of the new individual takes place outside. This fertilization occurs with the expulsion of the sperm and the ovum by the male and the female.

Once the egg hatches, the larvae that come to light swim freely. It is in stage number three of their development that the tentacles grow. The reproduction period of the sea cucumber it is once a year, every two years. They are quite unpredictable when it comes to reproducing, so there is no certainty of when they will.

I hope that with this information you can get to know the sea cucumber better.


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      melissa said

    fence this is very interesting, I did not know that sea cucumbers existed 🙂