Waterwereld
Seacucumber
Cucumaria frondosa distribution
C. frondosa is distributed in the Atlantic Ocean, Northsea and the coast of the USA, like those around Cape cod and New Foundland. But this sea cucumber can also be found in the Indian ocean, around the coast of India. C. frondosa prefers rocky or sandy bottom at an depth from 30 to 300m.
Cucumaria frondosa food
The sea cucumber collects small planctonic food that sticks to its five arms. Sea cucumber also search for foodparticles in the sand.
Cucumaria frondosa defence
The sea cucumber has poison glands near the anus. When attacked by a crab, the seacucumber ejects its guts trough the anus. The crab will eat this, the seacucumber escapes.
C. frondosa has a flexible body covered with a leathery skin, mostly brow or greenish in color. This cucumber can grow half a meter long, weighting 4 kilograms. The rows on its body have small feet and are used for slow locomotion.
Cucumaria frondosa
At a age of three years the seacucumber is sexual mature, with male and female animals. Both eggs and sperms are released in the water and become part of the plankton. After fertilisation the larvae remain part of the plancton for at least two month before settling on a rock.
Echinodermata, a painting by Theo Carreras, fin du siecle.
1 brittle star
2 echinus escalentus or edible seaurchin
3 asteria rubens or red or common seastar
4 Neocrinus decorus a sealilie
5 sea cucumber
6 slate pencil urchin, red slate pencil urchin, or red pencil urchin or hererocotus mammilatus, underside
Sea cucumber predators
As an adult animal, it has almost no enemies, exept for humans: Sea cucumber has been harvested throughout the world for many years on many places. But in the juveniel stage both seastars and crabs feed on them, just like some bottom dwelling fishes like cod.
Echinodermata of the Atlantic Ocean.
1 sea cucumber
2 seaurchin
3 asteria rubens or red or common seastar
4 asteria glacialis