GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Most sea cucumbers are omnivorous deposit-feeders that not only compete with, but also feed directly upon, benthic bacteria [17].

Detailed explanation-2: -Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrate’s consisting of 1500 different species worldwide, of which 200 live in Australia. They belong to a group of aquatic animals called filter feeders, meaning they pass sand through their bodies in order to filter out little organisms hiding in it.

Detailed explanation-3: -Most sea cucumbers are scavengers, moving along the seafloor and feeding on tiny particles of algae or microscopic marine animals collected with tube feet that surround their mouths. The particles they grind down to smaller pieces are further broken down by bacteria and become part of the ocean’s nutrient cycle.

Detailed explanation-4: -Almost all sea cucumbers are detritivores eating tiny scraps of food that settle on the sea floor including invertebrates, algae, bacteria, and decaying organic matter. Some are “Direct deposit feeders” wiping their tentacles over the sediments to pick up tiny food particles that settle there from the water above.