Saturday, November 19, 2011

What is the deadly toxin that sea cucumber release when they get stressed or die?

I have never hear of a toxin but I have heard that under moderate amounts of stress, a sea cucumber will squirt water from both ends. Under extreme stress, however, the sea cucumber will regurgitate its stomach called evisceration and escape in the subsequent chaos. The stomach will regrow within a relatively brief period of time.





Also they have a compound in their skin called catch collagen - this tissue is under neurological control and is capable of changing from a 'liquid' to a 'solid' form very quickly. The ability of the catch collagen to change from liquid to solid form at will is how sea cucumbers manage to get themselves into such tiny holes in the live rock structure - they are able to 鈥榞oopify鈥?their bodies and literally pour themselves into the hole they have chosen, and then solidify their skin to prevent anything from being able to remove them.





The final and most drastic response possible is when a stressed cuke expels its Cuvierian tubules. These tubules are a series of long, spaghetti-like tubes which are associated with the hind gut of certain sea cucumbers, and are thought to be primarily defensive in function.





I just found this: There is also the toxic material called holothurin in the excreta, which can cause localised swelling. Dermatitis can occur if the sea cumber is handled a great deal.





The sea cumber also contains a toxin, which may act on the nervous and muscular systems.|||Holothurin %26amp; Holotoxin. It's toxin can cure Malaria.


and also as a defense mechanism, it can throw up its own guts.





just a little fact|||They release a toxin that will kill all the fish near it. However it will not effect any other type of creature ....

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