| Sea cucumbers from the echinoderm group are commonly found in open areas and are not dangerous in any way. They can be handled carefully, and they may be placed back in the water. Sea urchins are dangerous only for defensively, so if you step on them, the spines may be poisonous. The sea urchins have lots of rows of teeth on the bottom of their plated bodies. The sea urchin spines are part of their skeletal system. All of the spines on the sea urchin vary, but have different colors, usually darker at the bottom to light at the tips. All the sea urchins we’ve found were lighter at the tips. Some sea urchins have spines that have irritants on them, some have spines that are poisonous, though. Another type of echinoderm is the sea cucumber. They are long tubular animals that live in the intertidal. Sea cucumbers have a water vascular system that helps them to breathe and live in the intertidal. These are edible to humans, even though I don’t like to eat them. The white-spotted sea cucumber has a five-toothed anus that protects it from pearlfishes that like to live in the intestines of sea cucumbers. When they are agitated they expel sticky white threads, and sometimes their intestines. Sea cucumbers are commonly found in the Hawaii, but the white-spotted sea cucumber is very abundant on Sandy Beach. Sea cucumbers are not important to the intertidal, except for recycling the waste in the water, and making it a nicer place for the other organisms. In a way, they are very essential to the intertidal. The white-spotted sea cucumber is like an underwater earthworm. It recycles the waste that it eats, and recycles out the nutrients, then poops it back out again. It’s like an organic recycling machine! We found some rock-boring urchins were the most found and the black sea cucumber and the white-spotted sea cucumber.
We’re the echinoderm group! Echinoderms are among the most identifiable group in the ocean. The group consists of sea stars (starfish), sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and brittle stars. You will most likely run into them under rocks or burrowed inside of them. The name Echinodermata means “spiny-skinned” in Greek, and all members have spiny skin. All echinoderms can be found by the shore to the deepest depths of the oceans. All species are lacking a head, heart, and brain, and have tube feet. Use caution around all wana (sea urchins) and the crown-of-thorns starfish because they have poisonous spines in their body. Most are scavengers and they eat dead, decaying things. If injured, it would be smart to visit your local hospital as soon as possible. Don’t touch the sea cucumbers’ insides, which are shot out when they are agitated (a defense mechanism), they are very sticky. We found an organism of each family here in Hawaii so look carefully.
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