Sea cucumber
Holothuria tubulosa
- Scientific name
- Holothuria tubulosa
- Group
- Echinoderms (starfish, urchins...)
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
The sea cucumber sifts through sand to feed on the organic particles it contains, and can expel some of its internal organs to deter a predator before regenerating them.
What defines this group — Echinoderms (starfish, urchins...)
Starfish, urchins and sea cucumbers: a five-fold symmetry found nowhere else in the animal kingdom.
- The body is arranged in fives around a centre: no head, no front, no back.
- They move on hundreds of tube feet driven by water under pressure.
- Many regrow a lost arm; some starfish can rebuild themselves from a single one.