Sea cucumber structure. Holothurians

November 23rd, 2016

Sea capsules, sea cucumbers or sea cucumbers are animals whose body contracts strongly at the slightest touch, after which in many forms it becomes similar to an old capsule or cucumber. About 1,100 species of sea egg-pods are known. The name “sea cucumbers” was given to these animals by Pliny, and the description of some species belongs to Aristotle.

Holothurians are interesting external features, bright colors, an interesting lifestyle and some habits, in addition, they have quite a significant economic importance. Over 30 species and varieties of sea cucumbers are used by humans for food. Edible sea cucumbers, often called sea cucumbers, have long been valued as a very nutritious and medicinal dish, so fishing for these animals has been practiced since ancient times.

The main sea cucumber fisheries are concentrated mainly off the coast of Japan and China, in the waters of the Malay Archipelago, and off the islands of the tropical part Pacific Ocean, near the Philippine Islands. Less significant fisheries for sea cucumbers are carried out in the Indian Ocean, in the Red Sea, off the coast of America, Africa, Australia and Italy. In the Far Eastern seas, two species of edible sea cucumbers are caught (Stichopus japonicus and Cucumaria japonica), which are used to prepare canned food and dried foods. The musculocutaneous sac of sea cucumbers, which has previously been subjected to long-term processing by boiling, drying, and in some countries, smoking, is most often consumed as food. Broths and stews are prepared from such semi-finished products. In Italy, fishermen eat fried sea cucumbers without subjecting them to any advanced processing.

In their raw form, edible sea cucumbers are used as food in Japan, where, after removing the entrails, they are cut into slices and seasoned soy sauce and vinegar. In addition to the skin-muscle sac, residents of Japan and the Pacific Islands use the intestines and gonads of edible sea cucumbers for food, which are more valuable. Some modern European companies produce various canned foods from sea cucumbers, which are in great demand. The world fishery for Stichopus japonicus in 1981 amounted to 8098 million tons. In addition to fishing, holothurian breeding is also practiced, in particular in our country. Far East.

Holothurians are quite large animals, the average size of which is from 10 to 40 cm. However, among them there are also dwarf species, barely reaching a few millimeters, and real giants, whose body length with a relatively small diameter - about 5 cm - can reach 2 m, and sometimes even 5 m. In body shape, holothurians are very different from representatives of other classes of echinoderms. Most of them rather resemble large worms, but some species have an almost cylindrical or spindle-shaped, and sometimes spherical or somewhat flattened body, bearing various outgrowths on the back.

Despite this body shape, in holothurians it is almost always possible to quite clearly distinguish between the dorsal and ventral sides, although their ventral side does not morphologically correspond to that of other bilaterally symmetrical animals. They actually crawl on their sides, with their mouth end first, so the names “ventral” and “dorsal” sides are arbitrary, but quite justified. In many forms, the ventral side is more or less strongly flattened and adapted for crawling. The ventral side includes 3 radii and 2 interradii, which is why it is often called the trivium, and the dorsal side, or bivium, consists of 2 radii and 3 interradii. The location of the legs on the body of sea egg capsules further enhances the difference between the dorsal and ventral sides, since the strongly contractile legs of the trivium, concentrated on the radii or sometimes found on the interradii, are equipped with suckers and serve for the movement of the animal, while the legs of the bivium often lose motor function and are deprived suckers become thinner and already have sensitive functions. There is no separation of the head in holothurians, although in a number of forms, for example, deep-sea representatives of the order of side-footed holothurians, one can notice some separation of the anterior end from the rest of the body, which is why it is sometimes called the head.

The mouth, devoid of any devices for grinding food and closed by the perioral sphincter, is located at the anterior end of the body or slightly shifted to the ventral side; the anus is placed at the posterior end. In relatively few forms that burrow into mud or attach to rocks, the mouth and anus move to the dorsal side, giving the animal a spherical, flask-shaped or vaulted shape. Very characteristic of all holothurians are the tentacles surrounding the mouth, which are modified ambulacral legs. The number of tentacles ranges from 8 to 30, and their structure varies among representatives of different orders. The tentacles can be tree-like branched and relatively large, covering a large area of water when catching prey, or shorter, shield-shaped, resembling flowers and intended mainly for collecting nutritional material from the surface of the ground, or simple with different numbers finger-like processes, or feathery ones, which help in burying the holothurian in the ground. All of them, like the ambulacral legs, are connected to the canals of the aquifer system and are essential not only for nutrition and movement, but also for touch, and in some cases for breathing.

Another distinctive feature sea egg pods is the presence of soft skin in most forms. Only a few representatives of the orders of tree-tentacled holothurians and dactylochirotids have an exoskeleton visible to the naked eye in the form of plates that fit tightly to each other and form a kind of shell. The skeleton of the skin of other holothurians consists of microscopic calcareous plates of a very bizarre and surprising beautiful shape.

We can find, along with smooth plates containing small quantity holes, openwork “baskets”, “glasses”, “sticks”, “buckles”, “tennis rackets”, “turrets”, “crosses”, “wheels”, “anchors”. In addition to the skin of the body, calcareous plates can be found in the tentacles, perioral membrane, ambulacral legs, and genitals. Only a few species lack calcareous plates, but for most species they are characteristic and play an important role in identification.

The largest skeletal formation is located inside the body of the holothurian and surrounds the pharynx. The pharyngeal calcareous ring of holothurians comes in various shapes: with or without processes, solid or mosaic, etc., but, as a rule, consists of 10 pieces, 5 of which correspond to the radii of the animal, 5 to interradii. In a number of forms, the pharyngeal ring serves as the attachment point for five ribbon-like muscles (retractor muscles), which draw the anterior end of the body inward along with the tentacles.

Straightening the anterior end of the body and extending the tentacles is ensured by the action of the other five ribbon-like muscles (protractor muscles) attached to the pharyngeal ring next to the retractors. The musculature of sea egg pods is quite developed and enhances the strength of their integument; the musculocutaneous sac consists of a layer of transverse muscles and five pairs of longitudinal muscle bands located along radii.

With the help of such strong muscles, some holothurians move, burrow into the ground and strongly contract their body at the slightest irritation. The internal structure of sea egg capsules has already been considered when characterizing type A. We should, perhaps, just pay attention to the special protective device- Cuvier's organs, present in certain groups of sea cucumbers, and special respiratory organs - water lungs. Cuvier's organs are developed in different representatives order of shield-tentacled holothurians. They are glandular tube-like formations that flow into the extension of the hind intestine - the cloaca.

When an animal is irritated, they are able to be thrown out through the cloaca and stick to the irritating object. Aquatic lungs, which are absent in side-footed and legless holothurians, are also connected to the cloaca by a common duct. They are two highly branched trunks located to the left and right of the cloaca and connected to the body wall and intestinal loops by very thin muscular and connective tissue cords. Water lungs can be brightly colored orange and occupy a significant part of the animal's body cavity.

The terminal lateral branches of the pulmonary trunks form thin-walled ampulla-shaped extensions, and quite often the left aqueous lung is entangled in a network of blood vessels. The walls of the aquatic lungs are equipped with highly developed muscles, the relaxation of which leads to expansion of the lung cavity and retraction sea water through the cloaca inward, and contraction leads to the expulsion of water from the lung. Thus, thanks to the rhythmic contractions and relaxations of the cloaca and aquatic lungs, sea water fills the smallest branches of the latter, and oxygen dissolved in water penetrates through their thin walls into the fluid of the body cavity and is distributed throughout the body. Very often, substances unnecessary for the body are released through the water lungs. The thin walls of the water lungs are easily torn, and amebocytes, loaded with decay products, are expelled. Almost all holothurians are dioecious; hermaphrodites are very rare among them, and most of them are in the order of legless holothurians.

Typically, in hermaphrodites, the gonads first produce male reproductive cells - sperm, and then female reproductive cells - eggs; but there are species in which both male and female reproductive products develop simultaneously in one gonad. For example, Labidoplax buskii (from the order of legless holothurians), living in northern regions Atlantic Ocean, breeds off the coast of Sweden in autumn, from October to December. At this time of year, its hermaphrodite gonad contains equally mature female and male reproductive cells, but each holothurian releases eggs into the water first, and after a day or two, sperm, or vice versa.

The release of reproductive products into the water can occur at intervals and in small portions. Numerous observations have shown that sea cucumbers sweep out reproductive products in the evening or at night. Apparently, darkness is a stimulus for spawning. Most often, reproduction occurs in spring or summer and is associated with temperature, but there are species in which mature reproductive products can be found throughout the year, but their maximum development, for example in Holothuria tubulosa, is observed in August or September. The timing of spawning is different not only for different types, but also for the same species if it has a large range.

So, very often found in the Barents and Kara Seas sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa breeds in these seas in June - July, and off the coast of Great Britain and Norway in February - March. Typically, the reproductive products are released into the water, where the eggs are fertilized and develop. After their crushing, a free-swimming auricularium larva is formed. Many auricularia are relatively large in size - from 4 to 15 mm. In a number of sea cucumbers, the larvae, before becoming similar to the adult organism, go through one more larval barrel-shaped stage, the doliolaria, and then the last larval stage, called the pentactula.

However, not all holothurians develop in this way. Nowadays, over 30 species of sea egg capsules are known that take care of their offspring and bear young. In such species, distributed mainly in cold waters, the free-swimming larval stage is lost and the eggs develop either due to a large amount of yolk or receiving nutrition directly from the mother's body. In the simplest case, eggs and young develop on the surface of the mother's body, for example, under the protection of overgrown skeletal plates, or in swollen skin folds on the back, or simply attached to the crawling sole. Further changes led to the formation of skin depressions, internal brood chambers protruding into the secondary body cavity, and in a number of branched-tentacled and legless holothurians - to the development of juveniles to late stages directly in the body cavity of the female. In all these cases, the sex of the holothurians is easily distinguishable, whereas usually this is almost impossible to do.

Giant sea cucumber

Half-meter-long sea cucumbers, which lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle and are even permanent homes for some small inhabitants of the seabed, can pump up to 800 milliliters of water every hour. The body of these animals sifts out oxygen from the remaining components of sea water and saturates its cells with it.

Dr. William Jaeckle from Illinois Wesleyan University and Richard Strathmann from the University of Washington decided to study these amazing creatures in more detail.

They found that the system of blood vessels connecting the respiratory branched sacs with the intestines (the so-called rete mirabile), is not intended to transport oxygen to the intestines. From a scientific point of view, it would be more logical to assume that this structure is needed to transfer food from the anus to the intestines, and not vice versa, as is usually the case in animals. Zoologists decided to test their hypothesis.

To confirm their hypothesis, the researchers fed several giant sea cucumbers radioactive algae that contained iron particles. Using this trick, the team was able to trace the entire path that food takes through the echinoderm's body. In addition, radioactive particles accumulate in the part of the body where the opening through which the creatures consume food is located.

The results of the study demonstrated that sea cucumbers feed primarily through the mouth. But high concentrations of radioactive particles and iron were also observed in the structure of the rete mirabile, which proves that sea cucumbers use the anus as a second mouth. It turns out that the anus of these creatures performs as many as three vital functions. important functions: respiratory, nutritional and excretory.

Scientists say that studying just one type of sea cucumber does not mean that only they use a bipolar method of feeding. Later, zoologists intend to study other species of echinoderms.

The study was published in the March issue of the journal Invertebrate Biology.

Among the numerous species of sea cucumbers, the most valuable for fishing are sea cucumber and cucumber. Sea cucumber and cucumber are similar in body structure and the chemical composition of the meat. Trepang contains biologically valuable substances (stimulants), for which in Eastern countries it is called the sea root of life (ginseng) and is widely recommended for those suffering from loss of physical strength and increased fatigue. Eating sea cucumber helps strengthen nervous systems s. Sea cucumber fishing is carried out in spring and autumn only in the Far East. The caught sea cucumbers are cut up at the fishing site - the abdomen is cut and the entrails are removed. Cleaned sea cucumbers are washed and boiled for 2-3 hours until the meat becomes soft, after which it is used for preparing culinary dishes.

Skoblyanka with sea cucumber tomato sauce.

Cut the boiled sea cucumbers into small pieces and fry in oil along with onion, flour and tomato paste. Mix everything, put it in a saucepan, add a little water and boil for 10-15 minutes over low heat.

400 g sea cucumbers, 3/4 cup oil, 3 heads onions, 4-5 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 tbsp. spoons of flour, 4 tbsp. spoons of water, salt to taste.

Sea cucumbers fried with onions.
Chop the sea cucumbers and onions and fry them separately, then mix, add spices and serve hot. Sprinkle on top green onions.
400 g sea cucumbers, 2 heads of onions, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon allspice, 100 g green onions, salt to taste.

Stewed sea cucumbers.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the boiled sea cucumbers cut into pieces and simmer for 3 minutes. Add milk, salt, pepper and bring almost to a boil. Serve, garnished with red pepper.
250 g sea cucumbers, 4 tbsp. spoons of margarine or vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of milk, black pepper, red pepper, salt to taste.

Sea cucumbers with vegetables.

Cut the boiled sea cucumbers into pieces and fry. Chop fresh cabbage, chop vegetables (potatoes, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes) and mix with sea cucumbers, put in a saucepan and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are ready.
300 g sea cucumber, 1/4 fork fresh white cabbage, 3-4 pcs. potatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1-2 zucchini, 1 glass of oil, 2-3 tomatoes or 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste, pepper, sugar, salt to taste.

Trepangs stewed with chicken.

Place the boiled sea cucumbers in a bowl with boiled or fried chicken, season with the prepared sauce and simmer over low heat until cooked.
200-300 g sea cucumbers, 1/2 chicken. For the sauce: 1-2 tbsp. spoons of tomato puree, 1 tbsp. spoon of 3% vinegar, 2 tbsp. spoons of wine (port or Madeira), 2-3 tbsp. spoons butter, 1/2 cup meat broth.

Trepangs with horseradish.

Boiled sea cucumbers are cut into slices. Dilute the vinegar with water, add grated horseradish, salt, sugar and bring to a boil. Then pour in boiled, chopped sea cucumber slices. The dish is served cold.
Boiled sea cucumbers 70, table vinegar 40, grated horseradish 10, sugar 2, salt

Clean the sea cucumber and pour boiling water over it. After about 1 minute, drain the water and cut the sea cucumber into pieces.
Sauce: soy sauce 2 tbsp, garlic 3 cloves (squeeze), mayonnaise 1 tbsp. Mix everything. Very tasty.

Salad with sea cucumber.
Boiled sea cucumbers are cut into small pieces, boiled potatoes are cut into cubes, green peas and chopped eggs are added. lemon juice, salt. All products are mixed, then seasoned with mayonnaise and decorated green salad and an egg.
Boiled sea cucumber 80, potatoes 80, egg 0.5 pcs., green peas 40, mayonnaise sauce 40, lemon juice, salt.

Belongs to the type of echinoderm, an invertebrate animal. Otherwise called sea cucumber or sea capsule. Among them are edible species, which are called “trepang”.

Holothuria includes a huge number of species, more than 1100 species, all species are divided into 6 orders. The difference between the orders lies in the variety of tentacle shapes and different presentation lime ring. The structure of internal organs also differs among representatives of different orders.

Only 100 species are common in Russia. Findings of fossils of all kinds of holothurians are related to the Silurian period (the third period of the Paleozoic, following the Ordovician).

Biological facts about sea cucumbers

How do holothurians differ from other echinoderms?

Basically, the peculiarity of holothurians is the presence of an elongated, worm-like, oblong body shape; a spherical shape is less common.

Also, holothurians do not have spines, they have a reduced dermal skeleton, it consists of small calcareous bones. They have a pentaradial symmetry of the body, and many organs are located bilaterally.

The skin of these sea cucumbers is rough to the touch, with numerous wrinkles. The body has a dense wall with high turgor (density). The muscle bundles are highly developed. The esophagus is surrounded by longitudinal muscles; they are attached to a calcareous ring. One end of the body is represented by the mouth, and the other end has the anus. The mouth around is crowned with tentacles, their function is to capture food and transfer it to the intestines, which are twisted into a spiral.

For breathing, sea cucumbers have a special ambulacral (hydraulic) system, as well as aquatic lungs. They are represented by bags that open in front of the anus into the cloaca.

Sea cucumbers lie on the bottom, on their side, which is not characteristic feature for other echinoderms. The ventral side is represented by three rows of ambulacral legs, and the dorsal side consists of two rows of such legs. The ventral side is called trivium, and the dorsal side is called bivium. Some sea cucumbers that live in deep water have very elongated ambulacral legs, which they use as stilts. Other species move with the help of muscles that contract according to the type of peristalsis.

Basically, sea cucumbers are colored black, green, sometimes with brown tones. Body length has a very wide variation, from 3 cm to 2 meters. There is also a species whose length is five meters.

Diet and lifestyle of sea cucumbers

The sea cucumber is a crawling animal that moves little. Widely distributed in any part of the ocean, at any depth. They are found in the deepest depressions, as well as on the coastline. Coral reefs are a place where sea cucumbers accumulate in particularly large numbers. The dominant number of species lead a purely bottom lifestyle, however, there are also those who live in the water column or close to the surface. This lifestyle is called pelagic.

The oral end is always raised. For food, sea cucumbers consume plankton, as well as any organic remains found in the silt. They absorb them along with the sand and pass them through digestive tract, where everything is filtered. But some species perform filtration using tentacles that are covered with mucus.

During periods of severe irritation, they expel part of the intestine through the anus, as well as part of the water lungs. In this special way they protect themselves from attackers, their organs are then restored quickly. It also happens that they also throw out toxic Cuvier tubules. Holothurians often become victims of gastropods, fish, some crustaceans and starfish. An interesting fact is that fieraspheres - small fish and even crabs - can settle in their lungs.

Reproduction method and development cycle of sea cucumbers

The sexual organ of the holothurian is single, represented by the gonad, and consists of tubes collected in a bundle. The egg is most often fertilized outside the body, and development also occurs extracorporeally. Sometimes holothurians show dexterity and grab eggs with their tentacles, throwing them onto the dorsal side of the body; in exceptional cases, the egg is located inside the body.

The egg undergoes a number of changes. Metamorphoses begin with a larva capable of swimming, but the initial form, characteristic of all echinoderms, is represented by a dipleurula, which after a few days becomes an auricularia, and then a doliolaria. There are other larval forms, such as vitellaria and pentactulae, which are common to other species of holothurians. Sea cucumbers live on average 5 – 10 years.

Sea cucumbers belong to invertebrate animals of the echinoderm type, in general, to mollusks. The currently existing 1150 species, included in 6 orders, differ in appearance, color, shape of tentacles and rings, as well as internal structure. Closest relatives - sea urchins and stars. In Russia there are about 100 species of these worm-like animals, the most popular of which are the Far Eastern sea cucumber and Japanese sea cucumber (cucumaria), from which delicious and healthy dishes are prepared.

Appearance of sea cucumber sea cucumber

Sea cucumber holothuria - a unique inhabitant under water world. It looks like both a large, clumsy caterpillar and a huge worm. The soft body of these invertebrate animals, depending on the species, can be rough or smooth, and can be covered with long or short outgrowths. Representatives of sea cucumbers are colored black, brown, green, gray or red. Sea cucumbers, depending on the species, also differ in size, which varies from 0.5 centimeters to 5 meters, which makes them attractive to sea hunters.

The sea cucumber, the photo of which is presented, is slow and crawls leisurely, alternately stretching and contracting. In their normal state, cucumbers lie on one side, which makes them much easier to catch.

Medicinal properties of sea cucumbers

Meat sterility complete absence viruses or diseases, huge iodine content - all this is sea cucumber. The medicinal properties of the product allow it to be used as a natural remedy for quick recovery after illness or surgery. Eastern doctors prescribe delicious trephine meat to accelerate tissue regeneration and stimulate heart muscle, lowering blood pressure, normalizing metabolic processes and even getting rid of tachycardia and bradycardia.

Another beneficial property of sea cucumber is its healing effect on joints, which is used in the treatment of arthritis. Substances contained in meat sea life, can relieve pain and reduce joint stiffness.

Sea cucumber extract, obtained according to a unique recipe from oriental medicine, has become widely popular. Sea cucumber extract has exactly these beneficial benefits. medicinal properties like its fresh meat. It is especially recommended for use as a dietary supplement by older people and those who suffer from chronic diseases. Chinese doctors claim that the extract saturates the body with a complex of essential elements, improves immunity, the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and prolongs life. Cucumaria sea cucumber tissue contains vitamins C and B, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, chlorine and amino sugars. Toxic substances Holothurins are widely used in pharmacology.

Thus, the delicious meat of marine invertebrates is an excellent raw material for the production of unique medicinal extracts, as well as extracts, on the basis of which medicines. They also cook from sea cucumber delicious salads and eat it as an independent dish (fried, stewed or canned).

Using sea cucumber as food

Some types of sea cucumber, also called sea cucumbers, are eaten and considered real delicacies. Fishing for invertebrate animals is carried out off the coast of China, Japan and in the south Pacific Ocean, in Russia - in the Far East.

Sea cucumber (you can choose the cooking recipe to suit your taste) can be fried, dried, or canned. This is an incredibly tasty and healthy product. One “but”: it becomes tasty only when cooked with some aromatic products, since they absorb odors perfectly. The Japanese eat it raw, believing that it gives a general strengthening and healing effect. Indeed, the sea animal contains vitamins, beneficial amino acids and trace elements.

Fresh sea cucumber appetizer

Thoroughly cleaned and washed sea cucumber is cut into small pieces, poured with soy sauce and seasoned with garlic to taste. Marinate for 5 minutes. One large sea cucumber is enough for a whole company of six people.

Chinese recipes from boiled sea cucumber

Trepang (sea cucumber), the photo of which is presented below, is boiled in boiling water. For the finished dish, they are cut into slices and sprinkled with carrot sauce.
Sea cucumber makes a very tasty soup if you add fragrant Chinese mushrooms and young bamboo shoots to it. This is a super healthy food.
Dried sea cucumbers are pre-soaked for several hours and then boiled and used in salads or snacks.

Recipe for sea cucumber with vegetables

Soak two boiled frozen cucumbers in cold water for 20 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly and cut into 2.5 centimeter thick pieces.

Fill a deep saucepan halfway with water and place over medium heat.

Peel 100 g of ginger root, cut into cubes and place in a saucepan.

When the water boils, place the sea cucumbers there for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and place in a dry container.

Peel and cut 2 carrots and 2 onions into thin strips, also chop 200-300 g of cabbage.

Separately cut 200 g of smoked brisket into cubes.

Place a frying pan with 3 tbsp on medium heat. oil and add cabbage, simmer for 15 minutes.

Add a little water to prevent it from burning, pepper and add the smoked brisket, simmer, stirring, for 15 minutes.

In another frying pan, fry in 3 tbsp. oil onions and carrots, add finely chopped green onions and parsley (3 feathers each), sea cucumbers, simmer for 5 minutes.

When the cabbage becomes translucent, add the mixture from the second pan, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cover with a lid. Stirring occasionally, cook the dish for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Add a little salt and let it brew for 5-7 minutes. Served hot with hot sauces.

Sea cucumber caviar recipe

Boiled sea cucumber is ground in a large meat grinder.

Onions are chopped, carrots are grated.

Sea cucumber with vegetables is stewed for 15 minutes in a frying pan in oil, you can add fresh tomatoes or pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Can be seasoned with soy sauce.

"Skoblyanka" from sea cucumber

Salt is fried in a frying pan, 100 g of vegetable oil is added and 2 onions, cut into rings, are fried.

Boiled sea cucumber is cut crosswise into rings and added to the pan with onions.

After a couple of minutes, add two large tomatoes cut into slices or two spoons of tomato paste, salt, black ground pepper

Let it boil for a few minutes, turn off the heat, and cool. Squeeze a clove of garlic and let it brew under the lid.

You can often find dried sea cucumbers on sale, covered with black coal dust - this protects them from spoilage. To prepare a dish from such a mollusk, it must first be kept for two days in cold water, periodically replacing the water. But the sea cucumber will increase several times in volume. Before subjecting him heat treatment, the abdomen is cut and cleaned of entrails.

Cook the sea cucumber for 2-3 hours until soft. And then you can use it to prepare hodgepodge, cabbage soup, all kinds of salads, appetizers, vegetable casseroles and other dishes. Whatever you choose as a culinary experiment, you will be satisfied in any case!

Trepang (holothurian) is a marine invertebrate animal belonging to the class of echinoderms. The habitat extends from the northern coast of the Kuril Islands and the waters of southern Sakhalin to Central region Republic of China (Hong Kong). Holothurians prefer storm-protected bays with mudflats and rocky outcrops. People call these animals “sea cucumbers” or “egg capsules” because when irritated they shrink, turning into a “pimply” ball.

Trepang is a storehouse of useful substances, containing a large amount of protein structures, organic acids and mineral salts. Thanks to the unique combination of nutrients, the product has a tonic, immunostrengthening and bactericidal effect on the body. In addition to the most valuable pharmacological properties Sea cucumber meat has a special piquant taste (reminiscent of chord sturgeon fish with a pronounced marine note). It is the nutritional qualities that distinguish this delicacy from a number of other seafood.

Trepang is a unique inhabitant of the aquatic world, looking like a huge hairy caterpillar. Holothuria has an oblong oval body, on the ventral side of which there is a mouth with ambulacral legs (tentacles). With the help of these processes, the animal captures and crushes the nutrient substrate (from the ground). The number of tentacles in sea cucumber varies from 10 to 30 pieces. The skin of the mollusk is covered with a large number of calcareous formations (spicules). In addition, on its dorsal surface there are soft cone-shaped outgrowths with white “spikes”.

The color of the egg pod varies from light gray to dark brown (depending on the habitat and type of animal). Thus, “green” forms of sea cucumbers are found on muddy soil, “red” ones are found on pebble or reef soil, and “blue” forms (albinos) are found on sandy (coastal) soil.

Standard parameters sea creature: width – 3-4 cm, length – 13-15 cm, weight – 0.7-0.8 kg. Along with this, in nature there are both very tiny individuals (0.5 cm in size) and giant representatives of the echinoderm family (exceeding 50 cm in length). The weight of small sea cucumbers is 0.02-0.03 kg, and large ones - 1.5-3 kg.

A distinctive feature of holothurians is their ability to regenerate. If a sea cucumber is cut into three parts and thrown into the water, the missing part of the body (legs, spines, tentacles, internal organs) will recover over time. In this case, each segment of the animal is transformed into a separate living organism. The duration of the recovery period is from 3 to 7 months. In addition, sea cucumbers have the amazing property of changing the elasticity of the walls of the body.

So, when there is a threat to life (from predators), their body becomes hard, and when they need to hide in hard-to-reach places, it becomes soft.

Features of behavior

The sea cucumber is a bottom-dwelling, sedentary animal, sensitive to a decrease in the salt composition of water. Holothuria thrives in marine and oceanic environments, where the concentration of mineral residues (including sodium chloride) reaches 0.033 - 0.035 kg per 1 liter. The least favorable for it are reservoirs with an intermediate level of salinity (0.02 kg per 1 l). With further desalination of water, the marine animal dies (due to irreversible changes in the body).

Based on their feeding type, sea cucumbers are classified as detritivores (animals that eat decaying biomaterials that settle on the ground). Together with phytoplankton, holothurians consume large amounts of sea sand (as a result of which their belly is 70% filled with earth). After digestion of the “feed”, the soil is naturally removed to the outside. Considering that the sand is poor useful substances, to satisfy physiological needs, the mollusk has to pass colossal volumes of silt through itself. During a year of life, sea cucumber consumes 30-35 kg of sea soil. Moreover, in the spring period of the year, its digestive activity is twice as high as in summer and autumn.

To feed sea cucumbers, it is important to move a lot. To move, the animal uses ambulacral legs, which “work” like a “caterpillar.” First, the sea cucumber pulls up its rear tentacles, firmly suctioning them to the ground, then sends a wave of muscle contractions in front of itself. After this, he tears the middle leg off the sand, “throwing” the front part of the body forward. Interestingly, sea cucumbers, unlike fish, are able to assess the concentration of food in different areas of the seabed (using sensitive receptors). If plankton “lies” in deep layers of soil, the mollusk gets to it by digging a hole. Animals pass through food-poor areas of the bottom quickly, collecting nutrient particles from its surface layer.

Sea cobs live in large colonies, forming “trepang fields”. Moreover, in calm weather they crawl out en masse onto muddy sandy areas (next to stone cliffs), and in stormy weather they hide on hard ground in rock crevices and root thickets of algae.

Sea cucumbers are resistant to vibrations temperature regime in reservoirs. They can withstand from minus 5 degrees to 28 degrees above zero. If a sea cucumber is frozen in ice and then gradually thawed, it will survive.

The average lifespan of a sea cucumber is 10 years.

Reproduction

Sea cucumbers, especially those from the Far East, are highly fertile. During one spawning period, an individual can lay 65-75 million eggs. These mollusks are dioecious, but external signs they are difficult to distinguish. IN mating season they form pairs, crawling onto near-water elevations (rock ledges, clusters of mussels, stone cliffs, algae rhizomes). After fertilization, holothurians attach their hind legs to the substrate. At the same time, they raise the front part of the body upward, taking an S-shaped “spawning” pose. The timing of reproduction directly depends on the habitat. Mating of mollusks living off the southern coast of Japan begins in May, in the Yellow Sea in June, and in Peter the Great Bay in July-August.

The duration of spawning is 1-3 days. After spawning, exhausted sea cucumbers crawl into shelters and hibernate. Animals remain in a state of “torpor” for 1-1.5 months. Then they come out of hiding, starting to feed heavily.

In the larvae, after 3 weeks of planktonic life, the rudiments of 5 tentacles appear around the mouth (pentactula stage). Thanks to these processes, they settle on the thallus of herbs and algae, turning into full-fledged fry. Young holothurians usually have 3-4 outgrowths on the back and 5-6 legs on the abdomen. As the fry grows, the number of tentacles increases, and the body takes on a characteristic “worm-like” shape. By the end of the first year of life, sea cucumbers reach a length of 4-5 cm, and by the end of the second summer - 13-15 cm. Sexual maturity in young individuals occurs in the third year of life.

Chemical composition

Holothuria is a healthy dietary product, 100 grams of which contain 34 kilocalories.

However, despite the low energy indicators, sea cucumber has high nutritional value(due to the high content of protein, bacterial components, micro- and macroelements).

The protein concentration in sea cucumber tissue varies between 8-10% of body weight. In this case, most of the composition of the protein fraction is occupied by collagen-like structures. These substances are characterized by a high concentration of free (,).

Table No. 2 “Content of vitamins and minerals in the tissues of sea cucumbers”

Name	Nutrient content per 100 grams of product, milligrams
Vitamins
	5,4
	4,2
	4,2
	1,4
	0,07
	0,02
	0,02
	0,01
	0,0002

	72,6
	70
	49
	48
	20

	2
	1,1
	0,18
	0,07
	0,05
	0,044
	0,019
	0,0004

In addition, the tissues of sea cucumber contain triterpene saponins (structural components of immunomodulator plants: ginseng, eleutherococcus, and honey). Thanks to these compounds, shellfish meat has bactericidal, hemolytic, cytotoxic, antitumor and immunocorrective properties.

Due to its unique chemical composition, sea cucumber is called “sea ginseng” in China.

Product usefulness

The healing properties of sea cucumber have been known to mankind since time immemorial. However, information about the medicinal value of the product reached Europe only at the end of the 16th century (from the culture of ancient China). Eastern medicine healers used clam extract as a powerful stimulant and tonic. Besides, imperial dynasties In China, sea cucumber infusion was used as a rejuvenating elixir (to extend the reign period). It is interesting that in ancient times such drugs were treated as miraculous sources of vitality.

Currently, the medicinal value of sea cucumber has been confirmed by numerous experimental and clinical studies. Considering that animal tissue contains more than 200 nutritional components, bioactive compositions and complexes are made on its basis. The main effects of such drugs are stimulating, oncoprotective, antiviral, immunomodulatory, hematopoietic, and hypotensive. To improve the health of the body, you can use both ready-made store-bought mixtures and drugs created at home.

Preparation of medicinal tincture (with):

Clean the fresh carcass from skin and entrails. If dried shellfish is used, it is pre-soaked in cold water for 10-12 hours.
Cut the prepared meat into small pieces. If desired, you can use a meat grinder.
Place the crushed raw materials in a glass or clay container.
Pour natural honey over the meat (so that it covers the fillet), mix the mixture thoroughly.
Leave in a dark, cool place for 1-1.5 months.

A properly prepared medicine has a dark, rich color and a thick consistency (heterogeneous).

For medicinal purposes, the mixture is consumed twice a day, 15 ml 20 minutes before meals. Duration of therapy is 1 month. After three weeks, taking the drug is resumed (if necessary).

For preventive purposes, the composition is used in the fall before the cold season and in the spring to strengthen the immune system (5 ml three times a day). However, in the first week of therapy, the size of a single serving should not exceed 15 drops (due to the powerful stimulating effect). In addition, while taking sea cucumber extract, it is important to control your heart rate. If necessary, take a sedative at night (to relieve nervous excitement).

Effects of using sea cucumber infusions (if the dosage regimen is followed):

strengthens the immune system, increases the body's resistance to pathogenic agents;
stabilizes blood pressure;
normalizes lipid and cholesterol metabolism;
increases visual acuity;
stimulates the regeneration of damaged layers of the dermis (including bone tissue);
reduces blood levels;
stimulates male potency;
improves thyroid function;
increases vitality;
accelerates the removal of carcinogenic substances from the body;
reduces the intensity of inflammatory processes (at the site);
improves psycho-emotional background;
has an antibacterial effect;
increases the body's antitumor defense and slows down the growth of tumors.

Along with oral administration, sea cucumber extract is used to disinfect the outer integument of the body. Namely, for treating skin rashes, rinsing the mouth (after dental procedures), nasal drops, lubricating the walls of the vagina (for fibroids).

Remember, sea cucumber extract cannot be used if you have hyperthyroidism or allergies to bee and seafood products.

How to prepare a delicacy?

Sea cucumbers are great for all types culinary processing: cooking, stewing, baking, pickling and salting. The animal's muscular tissue, freed from skin and entrails, is used for food. Based on sea cucumber, both stand-alone snacks (cold and hot) and multi-component side dishes, marinades, dressings and first courses are prepared. Sea cucumber meat goes well with all seafood, hot sauces, onions, tomato paste, and vegetables.

Holothuria is sold mainly in dried or frozen form. Let's look at how to properly cook shellfish.

Preparatory stage:

Rinse the carcasses under running water (to remove the charcoal powder).
Soak the meat in fresh liquid for 24 hours. At the same time, change the water every 3-4 hours.
Rinse the soaked carcasses, add new liquid, and place on the stove.
Boil the shellfish meat for 60 seconds over low heat, then remove from heat and leave in the broth (for 20 hours).
Drain the used fluid. Gut half-finished carcasses.
Rinse the separated product cold water, and then cook again for 60 seconds on low heat.
Infuse the sea cucumber in the original liquid for 20 hours (again).

If after a two-day processing cycle the meat is tough (with an unpleasant iodine odor), the cooking process is repeated (for 3-7 days). After softening, the product is placed in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. The full processing cycle of dried sea cucumbers takes from 2 to 7 days (depending on the degree of contamination).

When using frozen carcasses, they are pre-thawed on the top shelf of the refrigerator or in warm water(at a temperature of 10-15 degrees). Then the raw materials are cut and washed under running water. After this, the product is boiled in several changes of liquid (3-6 times). This process is repeated until the broth stops turning black (due to the high iodine content). The time of each treatment should not exceed 5-8 minutes. After cooking, the meat is washed under cold water (until completely cooled) and then placed in the refrigerator. At the same time, make sure that the dishes are clean, since the product quickly deteriorates when it comes into contact with fats.

The storage period for sea cucumbers at temperatures from 0 to + 5 degrees is 3-4 days. To increase shelf life (up to 2 months), the finished meat is placed in the freezer. – 15 grams;

parsley root – 20 grams;

– 20 grams;

greens – 20 grams.

Cooking algorithm:

Boil the sea cucumbers in several changes of water, cut into cubes.
Fry seafood, carrots and parsley roots (in lard).
Boil the peas until half cooked (20-30 minutes).
Add the fried mixture, herbs, and seasonings to the broth.

Serve pea soup with sour cream or spicy mustard sauce.

Sea cucumbers under marinade

Components:

dried sea cucumbers – 50-60 grams;
carrots – 600 grams (4-5 pieces);
celery – 15 grams (3-4 sprigs);
onions – 300 grams (2-3 pieces);
tomato paste – 30 milliliters;
water – 70 milliliters;
little vegetable - 30 milliliters;
– 15 milliliters;
sugar – 5 grams;
seasonings ( bay leaf, sweet peas, onions).

Cooking diagram:

Boil the sea cucumbers (after pre-soaking).
Prepare the marinade. To do this, peel the vegetables first. Then the carrots are grated, the onions are cut into rings, and the greens are chopped using a blender. Prepared vegetables are sautéed for vegetable oil until half cooked. Then the mixture is combined with tomato paste and simmered over low heat for another 5-10 minutes. After this, vinegar, water, sugar, seasonings and herbs are added to the frying. After boiling, the dressing is heated for 15 minutes.
Add chopped sea cucumbers to the hot marinade. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 5-10 minutes.

The dish can be served either cold or hot.

Ingredients:

sea cucumbers – 300 grams;
vegetable oil – 45 milliliters;
white cabbage – 400 grams;
carrots – 200 grams;
zucchini – 200 grams;
– 300 grams;
tomatoes – 200 grams;
mayonnaise – 150 milliliters;
cheese – 150 grams.

Cooking diagram:

Boil sea cucumbers in three changes of water (after soaking for a day).
Fry the sea cucumbers in vegetable oil (for 5 minutes).
Chop vegetables. Cut the cabbage into half rings, potatoes into strips, carrots and zucchini into cubes. Grate the tomatoes.
Fry the vegetable mixture over low heat (5 minutes).
Combine cabbage, carrots, zucchini and potatoes with sea cucumbers, add salt and seasonings.
Place the prepared mixture on a baking sheet. Pour in tomato sauce.
Bake the dish in the oven for 20 minutes (at 180 degrees).
Sprinkle the semi-finished dish with cheese and coat with mayonnaise (10 minutes before it’s ready).

Serve roast with tomato juice and pickled mushrooms.

Conclusion

Trepang is a valuable echinoderm that lives in the coastal waters of the Japanese, Yellow and East China Seas. The tissues of this animal contain a large amount of bioactive substances: protein structures, triterpene saponins, minerals, vitamins, organic acids. Thanks to the unique combination of nutrients, sea cucumber meat is used to slow down the natural aging process, reduce irritability, accelerate skin regeneration, improve vitality. Along with this, seafood provides invaluable support to the thyroid gland, brain, reproductive organs, and cardiovascular system. To obtain a pronounced therapeutic effect, an extract or extract is prepared from fresh shellfish (you can use ready-made tinctures).

Preparations based on sea cucumber are advisable for use in cases of reduced immunity, vitamin deficiencies, adhesions, chronic fatigue syndrome, purulent wounds, rheumatoid arthritis, impotence, and mastopathy. In addition to medicinal and nutritional properties, egg capsule meat has an exquisite fish and shrimp taste. Because of this, it is actively used in cooking (especially in countries eastern Asia). It is excellent for all types of food processing: baking, frying, boiling, drying, salting, canning and pickling. Soups, hodgepodges, side dishes, salads, pie fillings, sauces, and marinades are prepared from the echinoderm. The product requires pre-treatment: soaking for a day in cold water, boiling in several changes of liquid (with 12-hour settling). Store in the refrigerator (no more than 2 days) or in freezer(1.5-2 months).