Running head: Poisonous and Venomous Animals 1

Sea Cucumber

Antonio Sajiun

Professor Spanier

Stockton University
Poisonous and Venomous Animals 2

Sea Cucumber

Holothuroidea also known as the Sea Cucumber which is part of the phylum

Echinodermata where lives in salt water. The habitat of where sea cucumber resides is in coral

reefs and on the sandy bottoms of the floor. They are known as benthic filter feeders. There is

about over 1250 species of sea cucumbers around the world, but mostly have been found in the

Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific.

Physical Appearance

Sea Cucumbers have a tube-like feature to them and have a soft body. They have

a five-part symmetry and has its mouth surrounded by small tentacles. The sea cucumber lacks a

brain, heart and lungs, but has a central nervous system that have radial nerves on the skin where

they can detect chemicals in the water and feel the sense of touch. The smallest known sea

cucumber is about 0.12 inches and the largest up to 3.3 feet. They have many different colors

regarding the different type of species. Colors are red, black, blue, green, or brown. The skeleton

usually consists of plates and spines and has five rows of paired tentacles. They have poor

senses, which makes them not aware of their surroundings (Softschools, 2006, p. 1). They

breathe through the respiratory trees that water and oxygen rush into and come out the anus of

the organism. There are able to have the ability to adjust the shape of their bodies and be able to

squeeze themselves into tight spaces. Sea Cucumbers are mostly nocturnal, and they use the

shade of their color as camouflage to protect themselves from predators (Aquarium of the

Pacific, 2017).

Behaviors

Sea Cucumbers are able to send signals into the water through their hormones to be able

to communicate with each other. What some sea cucumbers will do to evade from predators is to
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shoot their internal organs out of their anus to be able to distract, trap them, or give part of their

body to escape. Some predators are various fish, crab, crustaceans, sea turtles and sea stars and

depending on the area of where the sea cucumber lives in (Katz, P.1).

Diet/Reproduction

Sea cucumbers are known as filter feeders and will consume plankton that is in

the water column. There are known as scavengers and will consume the decaying organic matter

that is in the sea floor. They will open up their tentacles and which will allow capture of food

through them. Sea cucumbers can reproduce sexually or asexually, but will prefer to reproduce

with a partner. The female releases her eggs in the water, which the male will sense the hormones

in the water and will go to release his sperm into them (Bio Expedition, April 17, 2012). When

they are conceived, they will go to a larvae stage where it will take several months for them to

get out of it. During the larvae stage and when they are eggs have been a meal for other

predators to prey on them. Depending on the temperature of the water determines the speed of

the process of growing. The warmer the water is the faster they will go through the process of

growing. Sea cucumber life spans are about 5 to 10 years in the wild (Bio Expedition, April 17,

2012).

Relationships with Other Organisms

Sea cucumbers can have relationships with other organisms. An example is the

pearl fish which will live in the anus of the sea cucumber to be able to hide away from predators.

When the pearl fish does that it doesn’t do harm to the sea cucumber or help it either.

Relationship is a form of commensalism (Canisius Ambassador for Conservation, P.1). Another

example is the imperial shrimp which hangs on the skin of the sea cucumber and uses its

locomotive purposes to be able hitch a ride to catch food. They will come off for a second to eat
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and immediately go back to hanging on the sea cucumber to the next feeding ground (Leisure

Pro, August 24, 2011).

Venom/Intoxication

Sea cucumber has this defense mechanism which is called the organs of Cuvier,

where the sea cucumber projects internally pronounced substances to immobilize or kill the

predator. They also discharge sticky tubules or threads that will trap the predator. It also secretes

toxic fluids so in regards of consuming the sea cucumber it will be poisonous to the person

eating it. The toxins that are involve with it is the Holothurin and the Holotoxin which is toxic to

proteins. Scientist don’t really know the origin of where the toxin comes from, but often compare

the toxin from sea urchins (National Geographic, P. 1). When coming into contact with a sea

cucumber will cause a burning pain, redness, and a violent inflammatory reaction. Also, if

ejected from the anus can cause blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. There was a case

of two men that had died from consuming a sea cucumber in regards of it having Red Tide

Poisoning, which the sea cucumber was probably contaminated with Paralytic Shellfish

poisoning from it consuming the contaminated algae (National Geographic, P. 1).

Treatment

Some treatments if you do come in contact with a sea cucumber is to rinse the affected

area with saltwater. You can also use the hottest temperature water that you can tolerate and rinse

the affected area. Avoid rubbing and putting ice on the area because it will make it worse. Apply

acetic acid or isopropyl alcohol to the red area to help with healing. If you happen to be ejected

in the eye to rinse the eye with one to two gallons of fresh water or a saline solution.
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Health Benefits

In China they make it into a medicine for many illnesses. It was proven that sea

cucumber can help with easing joint pain, improving gum disease, help fight the common cold,

erectile dysfunction, constipation, fatigue, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and help fight

the effects of cancer. It is high in protein and contains antioxidants in the meat. It has been used

for dietary supplements (Ell, October 3, 2017). It contains chondroitin sulfate which is over the

counter arthritis formulas and triterpenoids which are compounds that help slow the growth of

cancer. What they do to prepare it to eat it is by when they catch it to slit open the belly and

remove all the guts. Then you need to wash and boil the animal several times. The meat is known

to be favorless so by mixing it with other herbs and ingredients will be able to soak it up very

well (Parkinson, February 17, 2017).

Relating to Career

I am currently a biology and health sciences major with a concentration of Pre-

med. In hopes to be a surgeon in the trauma care center. This relates a lot to my major because it

all has to do with science and how the sea cucumber is beneficial or harmful to the human

environment. The sea cucumber has a lot of benefits to it that can help with multiple illnesses,

but needs to be researched more in order to get a better understanding of the organism and any

other benefits that others may have overlooked. When sea cucumber has triterpenoids, which

helps slow the growth of cancer and fight it immediately caught my attention because we need to

do more research on this animal to be able to get a better understanding, determining if it is a

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protein or and enzyme or even the genetical makeup of the animal that is able to fight cancer the

way it does. I in the pursuit of being a doctor will be a huge breakthrough of a terrible illness that

takes many lives every year. It cannot just help with a specific cancer that affects a specific part

of the body, but cancer has a whole. Determining this can help us alter our bodies to make it

stronger to fight cancer and be more resistant. This won’t just help fight cancer, but maybe this

can also fight against HIV/AIDS or heart disease. My job as a doctor is to help anyone that is in

need and to not feel hopeless of not being able to do a thing against illness like cancer or HIV. It

also stated that sea cucumber helps ease joint pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gum

disease, and more. Using what we knew we can probably make a stronger medication that can

completely eradicate illnesses like the ones that I listed. I in the path of becoming a doctor should

take any opportunity possibly to answer these questions and fix the problems in regards of our

health and make the world a better and healthier place. The answers lie within the world, but it

depends if we are going to do something about it and search for the cure.
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References

Bio Expedition. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from http://www.bioexpedition.com/sea-

cucumber/

Canisius Ambassador for Conservation. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from

http://www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/great_barrier_reef/sea_cucumbers.ht

Ell, C. (2017, July 18). Health Benefits of Scrubbing with a Loofah. Retrieved December 07,

2017, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/557245-health-benefits-of-scrubbing-

with-a-loofah/

Katz, J. Predators of the Sea Cucumber. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from

http://animals.mom.me/predators-sea-cucumber-1873.html

Leisure pro. (2017, January 10). Retrieved December 07, 2017, from

https://www.leisurepro.com/blog/explore-the-blue/5-marine-symbiotic-relationships/#

National Geographic. (2017, June 14). Retrieved December 07, 2017, from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/sea-cucumbers/

Parkinson, R. The Sea Cucumber: Food, Medicine, or Aphrodisiac? Retrieved December 07,

2017, from https://www.thespruce.com/sea-cucumber-overview-695159

Soft School. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/sea_cucumber_facts/478/