20 Interesting Facts & Superpowers Sea Cucumbers

What the hell is a sea cucumber. Well lets find out shall we. Thier known as the bottom feeders of the sea.

But they can float around and have been seen in shallow waters. They come in some amazing colours.

They have some amazing abilities. You can get big ones smaller ones smooth ones hairy ones the list goes on.

Before we unpack the little creature and take a deep dive. The question is can you keep one and what superpowers do they have.

You can keep them they will clean the tank too. They have five superpowers The main ones bieng pooing perfect sand and bieng able to shoot its intestines out and regrow them!.

Sea cucumber Sea pickle

Breath Via Their Bums

Oh, yeah you heard that right. This little pickle-like sea creature the sea cucumber breathes via its bum. How the hell? I hear you say.

Well, as mad as it sounds and I’m aware of how it sounds as I’m writing this post.  Let me explain our sea pickle moves rhythmically back and forth.

While expanding and contracting its body. As this is happening our buddy contracts and opens his anus. Yes after opening his bum oxygenated water is sucked in through the bum and into a lung structure.

This structure is called the respiratory tree. The respiratory tree lies on either side of the intestines. Basically, there’s a set of two tubes on each side of the sea cucumber.

Water fills those tubes and the oxygen is diffused through the tube walls. And into the body’s fluids which pass oxygen around the body. 

Allowing matey to breathe. Does It not pass oxygen into the blood? That’s another rabbit hole of a question let’s look at why I chose the words body fluid.

Does The Sea Cucumber Have Blood?

Well erm no you see this sea creature has no need of blood. In fact, the old pickle doesn’t even have a heart. You see sea cucumbers are from the family of echinoderms.

They include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars to name a few. Instead, these creatures have what is called a water vascular system.

Water flows in the branches. Branches are tubes the same as above. Water flows through the tubes and these tubes take all the nutrients oxygen etc.

Get this the water creates a hydraulic system that allows the cucumber the power of movement.

While we are still on the subject of bums, did you know a particular type of fish tries to live in the sea cucumbers Ass?.

Pearl Fish Live Inside Sea Cucumbers

Anyhoo I wanted to look at some other abilities powers if you will. I came across this doozy they can swim well and travel Yes we will call it travel.

They can indeed travel some fifty miles in a day. 

Sea Cucumber Swims 50 Miles a Day How?

How the hell can they travel fifty miles a day? I know seems far for this little fella Most fish don’t need want or even have to travel that far.

I’m not sure they need to travel that far but here’s how they do it. 

Amazingly the sea cucumber can expand. I mean it expands a hell of a lot. The sea slug as some have now dubbed our friend.

Are able to inflate by sucking extra water via the respiratory tree. Oh, not the butt again. It’s ok I’m not gonna talk about its rear.

Once the water has been forced in this creature can expand up to 700 percent bigger. Allowing him to become buoyant much like a balloon.

Think tumbleweeds. After filling and becoming buoyant he floats up into the current. Upside down for some reason, our fella is a bit of a risk-taker.

Of he goes into the current and woosh he’s gone swimming. Err tumbling floating where ever the sea takes him cool hay.

The cucumber makes itself rock-solid

Yet another skill. Ability dare I say superpower. Of our sausage-shaped friends is having the ability to transform itself.

Yeah, it can turn from its usual soft dough-like floppy self. Into a solid rigid stone-like creature. How is this even a thing?

See whilst munching away a predator may attack. Once this starts the sea slug feels threatened. It utilizes specialized collagen fibers. 

That’s right under the sea cucumbers skin are what’s known as FIBRILS. These fibrils act as armor they start interlocking together.

While interlocking they form a web that crosses the whole skin of the creature. Stronger than mesh or a metal suit like chainmail that the military wore way back in the 3rd century.

You know like a knight’s armour. I would not think a sea slug to be a tasty snack anyway but now it’s got to be so tough almost impenetrable.

A pretty good trick I think we can all agree on but there’s more. No way oh yes is there no end to his abilities? Keep reading as the old cucumber shows how to hide!

Hide & Seek You Cant Find The Sea Cucumber

Okay, let’s get into this. As we just read the cucumber has collagen under the skin which allows it to stiffen but it also allows the said creature to stretch.

This technique allows this remarkable animal to flush water out of itself and stretch really long and thin.

Once they have gotten as thin as they can they slide between rocks. Then they simply reform themselves by tightening themselves and taking in more water.

Enough to fit snugly into the rocks making themselves look like part of the rock! Now no one knows where they are. See clever A. Always thinking and staying ahead of the game.

These super cool little vegetables of the sea have a few more tricks to play. That I’ll touch on later but now for the piezoresistance.

They Can Shoot Their Intestines At You? 

Probably what this creature is best known for why it does it no one knows. Who came up with it God only knows. It’s weird it’s wacky and disgusting all in one.

Although very effective let’s explain. They can Evisceration Get rid of their stomach intestines guts you name it.

How well Evisceration means to vomit to puke your insides up. Nice hope you aren’t eating while reading that. There are a few animals that do this to warn off predators.

Pretty scary if someone or something is prepared to throw its insides at you. What makes our mate different is he can go from both ends.

I know he’s a strange little thing. It can vomit or maybe poop them at you. They’ve been known to do this to each other too.

Why do sea cucumbers vomit their intestines?

Weirdos. They can be happily chatting away One of them says something and bangs the others and chucks his insides at it. Eww, gross dude.

Not to worry as they don’t need them back. They just grow new insides amazingly. I love it but which one did this first cheeky fella?

So what’s the idea behind it you say? Well, I think it’s supposed to look really freaky simple as that, and scare the predator away. Or the fella talking smack!.

Can you eat sea cucumber?

Who would eat one is my first response. Anyhoo we all know there are people who eat all sorts and this is no different.

There are people usually rich peeps of China over the years since the Ming dynasty that consider them a delicacy. In fact, the Chinese believe them to have healing properties.

The Chinese have used them to help cure arthritis and cancer. Bioactive compounds are produced by sea cucumbers.

It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications of these compounds around the world.   

On the whole, they only eat on special occasions such as weddings. They need to be prepared properly same as puffer fish etc. as are poisonous.