The sea cucumber is so named because of its elongated shape, not because it belongs on your salad. In fact, there is nothing appetizing about these denizens of the sea. They are scavengers and suspension feeders, who enjoy both plankton and whatever debris comes their way. Their most endearing trait is their ability to disengorge their inner organs in a gooey mess at whatever predator might want to make a meal of it. Lovely. I'll set down my breakfast now.
Don't worry about the sea cucumber that just puked up its innards. Those organs will regrow in no time. Whoopy.
Photo courtesy: Alexander Lee(Alexander+Lee%29.jpg)
Dec 16, 2006
No Cucumber on My Salad, Thanks
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14 comments:
sea cucumber is a delicacy to the chinese. i grew up eating those things---or trying to avoid eating them---at banquets. i wasn't allowed to get away with not eating any, though, since it's an expensive dish and that would have been rude.
in case you were wondering, yes, it's as nasty tasting (and feeling in your mouth) as it sounds.
Completely off topic, but did you know that Ugly Overload was featured in a CNN piece (I believe it was on 15 December)? (Of course, it was mostly about cuteness, but Raging Wombat muscles through the cute!) Kudos and Cucumbers!
Oh Great, now my brother is on National tv, CNN of all things, what is this going to do to your head? Couldn't you have at least gotten on Fox? Anyways congratulations that is so cool!!!! I have to tell everyone at work!!!!
Hey look up the California Leafnosed bat. Creepy
Bats, I just discovered that yesterday, and I was more than a little excited. I am trying to work up a screenshot so I can post on it. Thanks for the heads-up, though.
Kelly, thanks for the idea. Yes, it is abonimable. And worty of UgO.
I picked up a sea cucumber last month while scuba diving in Jamaica. I picked it up because the dive master did. I'm an idiot. I had the weirdest sting/rash/burn on my hands and fingers a few days later. It itched like hell and is STILL not completely healed 5 weeks later! Another reason to dislike the squishy flesh-bags! Hmmm...I think I'll blog about that! Thanks ugly overload!
I didn't know so many people have had such nasy experiences with these uglies. Sorry Claire, and pharngirl.
My experience at the Monterey Aquarium with a cucumber was nice...it was super soft like velvet. I guess it was an anomaly.
Maybe they detoxified your sea cucumber. Or maybe it was an actual cucumber.
Hey, I've eaten one of those things - not too bad, but a lot like chewing on a tire.
I went snorkelling in Taiwan a few years ago where one of the diving instructors told me that an alternate name (in Chinese) for the sea cucumber is "man of the sea."
When I naively asked why, the instructor picked up the sea cucumber and banged it on the pier. It began excreting a white viscous substance.
Anyhow, he also told me that if I ever cut myself while diving, to try and find a sea cucumber and bang it on something. Its secretion acts like a glue and will make a suitable underwater band-aid.
Sea cucumbers are cool - did you know they also travel in herds along the sea floor?
Btw, I love this blog. A friend pointed it out to me last November and I've been following along via Bloglines ever since. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Maktaaq. That's a crazy story. I didn't know it worked as glue.
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWE! that is just nasty!!
inner organs?! ... Gooey messes?! ... and the organs GROW BACK!!!!!!!!!
Ok, seriously that is just so nasty and yet ... really cool at the same time?!
I share this blog with my 10 yr old daughter thanks for keeping clean and cool!! YOU ROCK UgO!!
I try to keep it clean - which can be tough given the subject matter.
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