Orange Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria miniata)

Description: Orange sea cucumbers are one of the most iconic echinoderms found in the intertidal zone. These cucumber-shaped animals can reach lengths of 10-25 centimeters. Along their bodies, they have five rows of tube feet that they use to move around and feed with. On one end of their bodies, they have bright orange, branched, bushy tentacles, which is sometimes all you can see as the rest of the animal’s body hides tucked away in rock crevices.

Habitat: These creatures live in the intertidal zone, and they prefer areas that have more prominent currents. They range geographically from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to northern Mexico along the West Coast of North America. 

Diet: The orange sea cucumber uses its tentacles to catch food, which includes plankton and detritus (AKA bits of decomposed organisms). One well-known predator of orange sea cucumbers is the leather star as well as other sea stars (which are echinoderms just like sea cucumbers!).

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• Orange sea cucumbers can live for up to 5-10 years!

• Scientists used to think that pale sea cucumbers (Cucumaria pallida), which are a light orange color, were simply a pale version of orange sea cucumbers. Later, they realized the two organisms were different species.

Reference: Central Coast Biodiversity