1 of 3 The pale ocean cucumber is white or pale chicken with five distinct rows of tube feet. ( Alan Cressler/Flickr )
2 of 3 ( Stefan Countryman/Flickr ) do n’t use if you dont have to
3 of 3 sea cucumbers use their finger-like tentacles to capture plankton and other bantam particles, then sweep the food into their mouth. ( Eric Heupel/Flickr )
Quick Facts
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Species
native
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Size
Hairy sea cucumber : 4 to 5 inches in length ; pale ocean cucumber : 1 to 2 inches in length
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Habitat
Burrows into the sand or mire at the bottomland of deep waters, leaving alone its head or back open exposed.
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Range
Lives in the salty waters of the lower Chesapeake Bay .
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Diet
Feeds on plankton and other bantam particles
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Lifespan
Up to 8 years
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Status
Stable
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms with elongate, spiny-skinned bodies. They live at the bottom of the lower Chesapeake Bay ’ randomness deep, piquant waters .
Appearance
Two species of sea cucumbers can be found in the Chesapeake Bay : the hairy or common sea cucumber, Sclerodactyla briareus, and the picket ocean cucumber, Cucumaria pulcherrima.
Sea cucumbers have elongated, cucumber-like bodies that are thickest in the middle. They have discrete front and rear ends, with 10 finger-like tentacles around their mouth. The hairy sea cucumber is numb brown and grows four to five inches long. Its fat, rounded body is covered with tube feet. The pale sea cucumber is white or pale yellow and grows one to two inches long. Its tube feet are arranged in five distinct rows .
Feeding
The sea cucumber uses its tentacles to capture plankton and other bantam particles, then sweeps the food into its mouthpiece .
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Sea cucumbers spawn by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, where the eggs are fertilized. During engender, ocean cucumbers develop a cobra-like appearance, with their front end raised up from the bottom. Larvae spend respective weeks floating in the water system. They finally settle to the penetrate and morph into bantam juveniles. Juveniles take several years to grow to their adult size. Sea cucumbers can live up to eight years .
Did You Know?
- Sea cucumbers are related to sea stars: both are echinoderms, which means “spiny-skinned.” All echinoderms have five-part radial symmetry.
- If a sea cucumber loses a tentacle, it can grow a new one in about three weeks.
- If you pick up or bother a sea cucumber, it will squirt water from its rear hole, and it may even eject its innards. This is a defense mechanism that sea cucumbers use to protect themselves from predators.
