Sea: Cucumber and the Natural Context

The black sea cucumber or lollyfish is a marine echinoderm that is widespread and commonly encountered in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Their general distribution is from the Red Sea to Hawaii, but they also inhabit the Eastern Pacific, including the Galapagos Islands. They may be spotted from the surface to about 100 ft (30 m) deep. They prefer to inhabit sandy areas of the seafloor near coral, rubble, or seagrass beds. Inshore shallow-water populations can be dense and are composed of smaller individuals, while deeper outer reefs have larger and more dispersed

individuals. Their smooth, leathery skin is usually black and often has sand adhering to it, especially in smaller individuals. Their sandy coating helps protect them from the heat of the sun and provides camouflage. On one end of their cylindrical body is their mouth, surrounded by a fringe of black, branched tentacles. Waste is excreted at the other end of their body. Black sea cucumbers are deposit feeders, sifting through the sediment with their tentacles and feeding on organic matter. Black sea cucumbers can reproduce asexually by transverse fission where

a single sea cucumber slowly separates at the center, until there are two relatively wide, but short individuals. Smaller individuals reproduce mostly by transverse fission while larger individuals tend to reproduce sexually. Adults can reach a length of 24 in (60 cm). They are harvested for local consumption in some areas. For defense against predators, black sea cucumbers can emit a toxic red fluid on their skin surface. For more marine facts, click the SUBSCRIBE button!