Sea cucumbers!

[Guest guest]

> a friend of mine suggested that i should be able to eat a sea

> cucumber. i don't know much about them, but she said they don't

> have faces, eyes or legs and that they attach to something in the

> sea, so they don't move either. i'll betcha they have a central

 

Sea cucumbers (I've met and handled several) are soft, slightly

slug-looking creatures...if you handle them too roughly, or frighten

them, they throw up their digestive system (which they can

regenerate---that's how they get away from predators too, leave them

eating the I'll-make-a-new-one-later stomach parts and then *moving*

away). They do move, and they are obviously aware of, and react to,

their surroundings...they're animals, and neat (as in cool, not as in

tidy) ones, too. Please continue not to eat any!

[Guest guest]

SO, according to the definition someone else posted, since they have

a digestive tract, they are definitely animals! My friend never won

that argument with me. Even if she thought she was right, there is

no way I would eat a sea cucumber.

 

 

, " grrl4Chris "

<journalfaery> wrote:

>

> > a friend of mine suggested that i should be able to eat a sea

> > cucumber. i don't know much about them, but she said they don't

> > have faces, eyes or legs and that they attach to something in

the

> > sea, so they don't move either. i'll betcha they have a central

>

> Sea cucumbers (I've met and handled several) are soft, slightly

> slug-looking creatures...if you handle them too roughly, or

frighten

> them, they throw up their digestive system (which they can

> regenerate---that's how they get away from predators too, leave

them

> eating the I'll-make-a-new-one-later stomach parts and then

*moving*

> away). They do move, and they are obviously aware of, and react to,

> their surroundings...they're animals, and neat (as in cool, not as

in

> tidy) ones, too. Please continue not to eat any!

[Guest guest]

Yes, they are wonderful creatures. I encountered many

while swimming and wandering tidal pools when I lived

in Hawaii.

 

More recently, on my trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium, they

had some in " petting pools " . There was a staff person

around to answer any questions and to make sure none

of the wee kids, or big adults, didn't pet them too hard.

I still had to ask her if the contact with humans wasn't

bad for them; like if we introduce too many bacteria and

make them ill with all the touching. She sort of blanched a

bit when I asked and then assured me they rotate them out

to " rest and recover " from our contact, but admitted that

human contact isn't likely the best for them. I guess they feel

that in the long run a bit of education goes a long way and the

good of many a sea cucumber outweigh the comfort and safety

of the few. I tend to agree, but still felt a bit sorry for the

lil'cukes just the same.

 

~ PT ~

 

Silence is as full of potential wisdom and wit

as the unhewn marble of a great sculpture.

~ Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~>

, " grrl4Chris "

<journalfaery>

wrote:

 

> Sea cucumbers (I've met and handled several) are soft, slightly

> slug-looking creatures...if you handle them too roughly, or frighten

> them, they throw up their digestive system (which they can

> regenerate---that's how they get away from predators too, leave them

> eating the I'll-make-a-new-one-later stomach parts and then *moving*

> away). They do move, and they are obviously aware of, and react to,

> their surroundings...they're animals, and neat (as in cool, not as

in

> tidy) ones, too. Please continue not to eat any!