denise
02-07-2009, 09:46 PM
Sea cucumbers are soft leathery bodied members of the Echinoderm family, closely related to starfish and sea urchins. There are more than 1,200 species that we know of, and they all live on, in, or near the sea floor. They range from the shallow coastal waters to the deepest ocean trenches.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/1/3/0/3/seacucumberpattysimone.jpg
Sea Cucumber at Blue Heron Bridge
Photo by Patricia Simone
Along with a lack of arms, sea cucumbers also some other unusual body attributes. They have a bunch of tentacles surrounding their mouth, which they use for feeding. They have rows of suction cups along their body, used for crawling along the sea bed or anchoring to rocks. Sea cucumbers breathe by pumping sea water in and out of an internal organ called a respiratory tree. When threatened or startled, some sea cucumbers expel sticky threads to entangle their enemies. These threads are actually some of their internal organs, but they can quickly regenerate them within a month. Sea cucumbers have an unusual blood chemistry. Approximately 10% of their blood cell pigment is vanadium, so they have yellow blood instead of the traditional red color (due to the pigment hemoglobin).
Sea cucumbers are scavengers, feeding on plankton, debris or decaying matter along the seafloor. Most sift through the bottom sediments using their tentacles. Others position themselves in currents and catch food that flows by with their open tentacles. These small particles are broken down into even smaller pieces, which become fodder for bacteria, which recycle the mater back into the ocean ecosystem (this is similar to what earthworms do in soil).
http://www.dayo.com/images/Seacucumber_james.jpg
Sea cucumber creeping along on the bottom
Photo by James Garrin
Sea cucumbers are often found in large numbers on the deep sea floor (>5 miles down!), in this specialized habitat, they usually make up more than 75% of the animal life. Some species form large herds that move across ocean trenches, constantly on the hunt for food. In shallow waters, sea cucumbers also form dense populations or live singly.
http://www.divetraining.net/pictures/2011_june_11/DSC01287.jpg
Sea cucumbers have an amazing ability to live for many months without feeding. Over time, they slowly shrink as they digest their own body mass to survive. All going well (and on a regular diet!), these creatures can live for up to 10 years.
http://www.divetraining.net/pictures/2011_june_11/DSC01286.jpg
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/1/3/0/3/seacucumberpattysimone.jpg
Sea Cucumber at Blue Heron Bridge
Photo by Patricia Simone
Along with a lack of arms, sea cucumbers also some other unusual body attributes. They have a bunch of tentacles surrounding their mouth, which they use for feeding. They have rows of suction cups along their body, used for crawling along the sea bed or anchoring to rocks. Sea cucumbers breathe by pumping sea water in and out of an internal organ called a respiratory tree. When threatened or startled, some sea cucumbers expel sticky threads to entangle their enemies. These threads are actually some of their internal organs, but they can quickly regenerate them within a month. Sea cucumbers have an unusual blood chemistry. Approximately 10% of their blood cell pigment is vanadium, so they have yellow blood instead of the traditional red color (due to the pigment hemoglobin).
Sea cucumbers are scavengers, feeding on plankton, debris or decaying matter along the seafloor. Most sift through the bottom sediments using their tentacles. Others position themselves in currents and catch food that flows by with their open tentacles. These small particles are broken down into even smaller pieces, which become fodder for bacteria, which recycle the mater back into the ocean ecosystem (this is similar to what earthworms do in soil).
http://www.dayo.com/images/Seacucumber_james.jpg
Sea cucumber creeping along on the bottom
Photo by James Garrin
Sea cucumbers are often found in large numbers on the deep sea floor (>5 miles down!), in this specialized habitat, they usually make up more than 75% of the animal life. Some species form large herds that move across ocean trenches, constantly on the hunt for food. In shallow waters, sea cucumbers also form dense populations or live singly.
http://www.divetraining.net/pictures/2011_june_11/DSC01287.jpg
Sea cucumbers have an amazing ability to live for many months without feeding. Over time, they slowly shrink as they digest their own body mass to survive. All going well (and on a regular diet!), these creatures can live for up to 10 years.
http://www.divetraining.net/pictures/2011_june_11/DSC01286.jpg