Answered by MSC Commercial Manager UK & Ireland, Seth McCurry Lauded for their medical and health benefits, sea cucumbers have been a delicacy in China since the Ming Dynasty. Additionally, cucumbers have a high water content. Sea cucumber doesn’t have much taste. Why do people eat sea cucumbers? Sea cucumbers propel themselves by means of tubular extensions or tube feet arranged in rows along the length of their bodies. I decided to continue on with the subject of sea cucumbers for this article, because there are many subjects that I mentioned but never really discussed at any length in the last article about medusa worms (Toonen 2002). In fact, I am going to do one more article on sea cucumber after this one, but I’ll focus specifically on the colorful and popular sea apples ( Pseudocholchirus spp.) Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contains starfish and sea urchins. Pack the sea cucumber and put it in the fridge if you are not going to use it for a long while. In addition to their culinary appeal, sea cucumbers have been used as a traditional food source and medicinal ingredient in Asian and Middle Eastern countries for centuries. The tentacles are usually fingerlike. One remote community in Madagascar has started a pioneering coastal-farming project with astonishing results. Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding. They are not in the least bit intimate and it involves little to no interaction with the other Sea Cucumbers. sea cucumber, any of the flexible, elongated echinoderms belonging to the class Holothuroidea. Sea cucumbers are a prized aphrodisiac in China. They are similar to snails and slugs. ; They are so prized that people will risk their lives to get ahold of one. In fact, cucumbers are made up of about 96% water ( 2 ). Storage and Soaking Storing dried sea cucumber isn’t difficult—simply put them in a cool and dry place. Savoury ingredients can give deeper flavours through a slow-cooking or braising. What they do is that the males just release sperm into the water and the females just release their eggs into the water. Although sea cucumbers have the basic echinoderm radial symmetry [1] (see Echinodermata [2]), they do not have arms like starfish. The feet can be extended or contracted by varying the internal fluid pressure. Some sea cucumber animals have thick muscular bodies while others have the jelly-like bodies. Sea Cucumbers have a very interesting way of mating. Behavior. But like many coastal species they have been chronically overfished. The average lifespan of sea cucumber creatures is between five and ten years. Sea cucumbers might not look it, but they are very valuable creatures — a kilo can cost over $3,000. To maximize their nutrient content, cucumbers should be eaten unpeeled. 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