Thank you Dan for sending me this picture. I wasn't sure what I could post about after the colossal squid story. I mean where do you go after mammoth squids?! (Using the term mammoth loosely here.) But now it's apparent what the next post should be: Sea Cucumbers!! Just look at that picture! So much that could be said...But what's the sea cucumber's story? Is it more than just a pretty face? Yes, yes it is. Happily for me, the scavenger-of-the-sea has many interesting characteristics. My favorite being the cucumber's strategic defense mechanisism: defensive vomiting. Yes that's right. When the little guy is feeling threatened it expells its internal organs. Bam!
That would sure scare me away. I guess it's a tactic to confuse the predator's hunt (especially when these predators hunt by scent.) Lucky for the sea cucumber, these organs can be regrown.
Sea cucumbers can be found in just about any sea environment- but always on the floor of the ocean. They move by tiny tentacle-action. Also, their skin is apparently kind of leathery- like a snake. (I guess- I've never compared the two.) The cucumber is related to the sea star and sea urchin. And they can grow as big as 16 inches. Foot-long sea cucumber!
Finally, sea cucumbers are popular for their delicate flavor (so I hear) and their medicinal properties, especially in Asia. Apparently sea cucumber 'extract' (I'm not quite sure what that is) is good for tissue healing, and even removing the appearance of scarring.
Here's another picture:
yah little cucumber!
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