News Animals

This sea cucumber shoots sticky tubes out of its butt. Its genes hint at how

Holothuria leucospilota’s newly analyzed genome helps explain this predator defense

A black sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) expels a stringlike substance, called the Cuvierian organ, as a defense against predators like crabs, as shown in this artist’s illustration.

When startled, a black sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) expels a stringlike substance, called the Cuvierian organ, as a defense against predators like crabs, as shown in this artist’s illustration.

Liang Li

By Darren Incorvaia

Some lizards shed their still-wriggling tails to distract predators, but sea cucumbers take this sort of strategy to the next level.