Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-15
A Submarine Hotel,

Several years ago, in walking along
the half submerged fringing reef of
the Tortugas group Of islands, my at
tention was attracted by the numbers
of great, black, worm-like creatures
that were strewn over the bottom
just within the breakers. where the
water was smooth. They were Holo-
thurians, or sea- eucumbers. Wishing
to secure large specimen, | hauled
my boat over among them, and soon
had one more than foot in length
in the glass jar, or portable aquarium,
carried for the purpose.
Another was lifted from its sandy
bed for examination. and a curious
creature it was. 1t seemed like
great, grotesque caterpillar, made out
of leather and filed with water, as
the handling caused it to eject two
streams of water with considerable
force. After placing it upon the seat
of the boat, we found that the crea
ture had elected all its interior or
gans-actually thrown them off. This
would have been srievous calamity
to almost any animal except the sea-
cucumber but, curiously enough, they
have the faculty of reproducing lost
parts to a wonderful degree, and if
placed back in the water would soon
provide themselves with an entirely
new set
This self dissection of the sea-
cucumber affords us an opportunity
to learn something of Its position in
life and we find it is cousin of the
star-fish, having a very similar ar
rangement of organs. and though so
worm-like in appearance. is really A
radiate animal About the mouth are
numerous tentacle-like gills, that in
some species are of the most fantas-
tic description. In our common
northern Pentacta they appear like
shroubs or MOSES, and are used as
part of the protective arrangement of
the animal.
The body. being large and conspieu-
Gus, would soon be noticed on the
sandy bottom by its enemies. SO the
Pentacta burrows in the sand, and
when out of sight. a delicate shrub
is seen, like some plant thrusting
aside the grains of sand. Now an
other branch appears, then another,
a-cueumber disappeared there waves
in the current richly colored branch
of seeming algae-the mouth parts
of the Pentactes that thus lies con-
eealed. yet exposed. in perfect safety.
In others the mouth-parts resemble
mushrooms ferns and sea- weeds of
various shapes and colors, often of the
greatest beauty.
If we should follow up our investi-
cations of the anatomy of the sea
cucumber we should find that it
breathes by what is called water
vascular system. In the star-fish
hard red spot is seen upon the upper
surface, punctured with minute holes.
Through this water is strained and
taken in, passing out into the arms,
and filling the sac-Iike feet. In the
sea-cucumber there is a similar ar
rangement, only the madreporie plate,
as this pink sieve is called, is on the
inside.
The feet of the sea-cucumber are in
rows, and are almost useless. only en-
abling ii to move along in a clumsy,
worm-like manner, much slower than
any worm you know of.
In eating it makes little OF 40 Sc
lection, scooping in the sand and mud,
and sitting out the edible parts much
after the fashion of the eath-worm.
Though certainly not gourmands.
starvation affects some of them in a
most remarkable way. Thus, if the
beautiful, transparent Synapta tan-
other example of the Cucumbarioe)