SEA CUCUMBERS

Holothuroidea

Holothuroidea or sea cucumbers are a large class of echinoderms. Named for their resemblance to cucumbers, they are usually tubular and have tough skin. Many have retractable, branch-like arms that they use to catch bits of food in the water. The size of a sea cucumber can range from as small as 4 Mm to 10 Ft (3 M) long. Many sea cucumbers move with stubby feet, while some move about by crawling on the sea floor. A few species float around above the seabed. Sea cucumbers living in deep water typically have softer skin and are translucent. The sea pig

(below) is one of the strangest of sea cucumbers, being translucent and having unusually large tube-feet.