Why do sea cucumbers eject organs?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Confusing attacking predators
Shedding old tissue — Wrong. It's not routine shedding—it's emergency defense. The ejected organs are sticky and toxic, designed to entangle or poison predators.
Digesting food externally — Wrong. Sea cucumbers digest food internally with their intact digestive system. Evisceration is purely defensive.
Confusing attacking predators ✓ — Correct! When threatened, some sea cucumbers violently contract and eject internal organs (intestines, respiratory trees) through their anus toward predators. The organs are sticky and sometimes toxic, tangling and deterring attackers. Sea cucumbers then regenerate all lost organs within weeks.
Go deeper: Regeneration (biology)
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