Which animal expels their internal organs to confuse their predators?

Sea cucumber, (class Holothuroidea), any of 1,200 species of marine invertebrates that constitute a class within the phylum Echinodermata. The soft cylindrical body, 2 to 200 cm (about 0.75 inch to 6.5 feet) long and 1 to 20 cm (0.4–8 inches) thick, is usually a dull, dark colour and often warty, thus resembling a cucumber. Most species have five rows of tube feet extending from mouth to anus. The anal opening is used for both respiration and discharging wastes.

Many sea cucumbers can expel their internal organs through the anus and grow new ones. This may be a device for escape from a predator, or it may occur for physiological reasons. Some species also expel specialized sticky filaments that ensnare or confuse an enemy. Sea cucumbers shelter pearlfish in the anal cavity, with the head of the fish extruding. A number of sea cucumber species exude a toxin that is lethal to small animals but not to humans.

Sea cucumbers are found in all oceans, mostly in shallow water but sometimes at depths of many thousands of metres. They are best represented in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific.

Sea cucumbers are harvested to produce numerous products, including medicines and dietary supplements, shampoo, and toothpaste. However, bêche-de-mer, the dried outer body wall, is considered to be the most valuable part of the animal. It is a delicacy throughout Asia, especially in China

More Info: www.britannica.com

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15 Comments

Jim Mascair

I've been drunk enough at various times that I was sure I was expelling my vital organs. Somehow, like the sea cucumber, I also lived.

Alex Markin

Sea cucumbers are a delicacy in China. Not to me. I could not care less whether they had their innards inside or not.

deborahpmercer

That's fascinating, thanks!

Myrna Cooksey-Watson

I have touched sea cucumbers while scuba diving. They luckily retained their organs!

Nicholas Miernicki

I once ate some sea cucumber, but, I really don't know exactly how it tastes. I had stopped for lunch in Chicago's Chinatown area, as was my habit, and order something from the menu that I had never had before, another habit. It was called Seafood Medley. It was brought to me in a crockpot and I could see shrimp and some small tentacles in a mass of other things that I could not identify. I asked the server what was in the dish and she said, "Shrimp, baby squid, sea cucumber...", I couldn't understand what she was saying after those three. So, as I have said, I have eaten sea cucumber, I just don't know which one of those things in the pot was the sea cucumber.

Lynne Zeman

I had read of this before. But as before, a single orfrice for both breathing and expelling waste seems incomprehensible. And to expell internal organs is incomprehensible. Both are just "ewww!"

fdeisner

Lily, it seems you were trying to make the question either more interesting or difficult. That being said for a multiple choice question you cannot have two correct answers. This is the second question in a row that you have two correct answers available. Why are these questions not vetted properly?

Lawanta

I've heard of the Sea Cucumber before, but didn't know the full scoop! VERY interesting👍

Irene Townsend

Learnt about them on one of the many animal programs

Carrie Arnold-Marsh

The sea apple IS a type of sea cucumber and it expels internal organs when threatened. There are over 1200 species of sea cucumbers. They don't all expel internal organs. I think this answer is wrong....or not specific enough question.