Orange-footed sea cucumber

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Onglets

Description

Distinguishing features

The orange-footed sea cucumber is a marine animal belonging to the family of holothurians. It lives mainly on the ocean floor. Its body is elongated, soft, and usually dark brown, though it can sometimes be orange or purple. Five rows of small projections, called podia, give it a frilled appearance. These papillae are actually tube feet, suction-like structures that allow the animal to move slowly along the seabed.

Around the mouth of the orange-footed sea cucumber are ten highly branched tentacles, which it uses for feeding. In case of danger, the animal can retract these tentacles completely into its mouth opening to hide them.

Reproduction

This species reproduces sexually. The sea cucumber reaches sexual maturity at about three years of age. Males and females release their gametes (reproductive cells) directly into the water, where fertilization takes place. This process, called spawning, occurs mainly in spring when water temperatures rise and food is abundant.

After fertilization, the larvae go through a planktonic phase lasting a little over two months before settling on the ocean floor. This stage is important for the species, as drifting organisms allow new areas to be colonized. In this way, they promote genetic exchange and strengthen the resilience of populations in the face of environmental disturbances.

Diet

The orange-footed sea cucumber feeds by suspension, extending its ten feathery tentacles around its mouth. Covered in mucus, these tentacles capture plankton and organic debris from the water.

Once the particles are caught, the sea cucumber slowly folds its tentacles toward its mouth, inserting them one by one and cleaning them with precise oral movements, absorbing the nutrients in the process. This slow but continuous feeding method is especially effective in marine areas with strong currents, where organic matter is abundant.

In winter, this marine animal stops feeding and survives on its internal reserves.

Predators

The main predators of the orange-footed sea cucumber include certain bottom-dwelling fish, starfish, and crustaceans. Its thick skin, and especially its ability to contract quickly and hide in crevices, provides some protection against them.

To escape predators, it conceals itself under kelp or within rocky crevices. By adjusting its buoyancy, it can also drift with the currents, allowing it to avoid unfavourable environmental conditions or threats.

Habitat

The orange-footed sea cucumber is abundant in the cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, particularly in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. It is found in a variety of coastal habitats, mainly on rocky bottoms, among algae, or in crevices.

During its early years, it favours shallow waters (less than 10 metres), then settles at depths of up to 60 metres, and occasionally as deep as 400 metres.

Ecology, behaviour

Although relatively sedentary, the orange-footed sea cucumber can move slowly, at a speed of up to 50 cm/hr. It often lives in dense groups, sometimes exceeding 50 individuals per square metre, in areas with moderate to strong currents.

It has an organ called the “respiratory tree,” connected to the posterior part of its digestive tract. Respiration occurs through a process of ventilation: the anus opens to let seawater enter the cloaca, and then, through muscular contractions, the water is pumped from the cloaca to the respiratory tree, where gas exchange takes place. This cycle repeats regularly, allowing the sea cucumber to absorb dissolved oxygen from the water and expel carbon dioxide.

Through its feeding behaviour, it helps clean the water and recycle nutrients in benthic ecosystems (on the ocean floor). In this way, it actively contributes to nutrient cycling and the stability of marine sediments. Sensitive to pollution, it is also a good indicator of environmental quality, while remaining an important part of the marine food web.

Commercial fishing of the northern sea cucumber is permitted in Quebec but is strictly regulated. Most of the harvest is exported to Asia, where the species is highly valued.

French name

Concombre de mer du Nord

Scientific name

Cucumaria frondosa

Phylum

Echinodermata

Class

Holothuroidea

Order

Dendrochirotida

Family

Cucumaridae

Size

Average length: 25 cm to 30 cm

Weight

350 to 600 g.

Life span

About 10 years

Status

Common species, under regulation

At the Biodôme

They can be spotted, often resting, on the sand or stones in the rocky shore basin of the Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem. Visitors can sometimes see a northern sea cucumber retract its tentacles into its mouth if a crab touches it. When the animal feeds, it places its tentacles one by one in its mouth.

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