Sea Cucumbers washed up in rather large numbers this weekend.  These relatives of sea stars and sea urchins live along the sea floor.

We find them washed up on the beach fairly often after a storm.  This one was still alive, at the tide line, and you can see they are rather sticky with shells stuck to them

Sea Cucumbers use tube feet to filter detritus and plankton from the water, ingesting nutrients that way.  According to Tideland Treasures (a book every beachcomber should have), a single sea cucumber may ingest and expel up to 200 lbs of sand and grit per year!

When startled, sea cucumbers contract into a tight ball.  Apparently, another defense mechanism they can employ is that of expelling some internal organs, which are regenerated fairly quickly.  Scientists have been studying this regenerative potential as it pertains to possibilities of healing human tissue.

While they have tube feet surrounding their mouths, they use them more for feeding than locomotion.  If you find one that contracts when you pick it up, it is still alive, and you may be able to return it to the water.  You may even be able to see the feet and mouth emerge if you are able to watch it in a tidepool.  We’ll have to try that next time!