Sea+Cucumbers

media type="youtube" key="vsLBOkYLLeI&hl=en" height="355" width="425" =Sea Cucumbers= or Parastichopus Californicus

1. Type of animal~

 * It is an invertebrate
 * It is a kind of echinoderm

2. Habitat~

 * shallow reef waters
 * warm waters
 * northern waters

3. Range~

 * East side of Vashon Island
 * Central Puget

4. Physical Characteristics~
they can be brown, chestnut brown, reddish brown, light orange, or white.
 * sausage shaped
 * grows to 16 inches
 * covered with warty bumps or soft spine



5. Diet~

 * dead and decaying organice material
 * algae
 * tiny plankton
 * omnivore

6. History~

 * They are close to star fish

7. Other Information~

 * When scared, some cucumbers throw out their internal organs to distract any preditors
 * They grow new innards.
 * There are 1,250 known species
 * The average lifespan is 5 to 10 years.

8.Sources~

 * http://library.thinkquest.org/J001418/seacuc.html
 * http://seaotter.com/marine/research/parastichopus/califoricus/html/califorus.html
 * http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertabrates/sea-cucumbers.html
 * Ferguson, John. "Sea Cucumbers." __The World Book Encyclopedia.__ 2004.