Edible Sea Cucumber
Holothuria edulis · hol-oh-THOOR-ee-a ed-YOO-lis
nocturnalsolitaryNot Evaluated
EdibleFriendlyPoisonous
Superpower
Can fire out sticky, toxic threads — or even its own guts — to foil a predator.
At a glance
- Size
- typically 20 cm, up to 30 cm
- Lifespan
- 5–10 years
- Depth
- 1–30 m
Habitat
Sandy and rubble seabeds near reefs.
Diet
Detritus and microbes sifted from the sediment.
Can I eat it?
Yes — edible · tastiness 4/10.
How to cook: Dried into 'trepang/balatan' for soups and stir-fries.
Safety
- Poisonous2/10
Can release mildly toxic threads if attacked.
Fun facts
- Dried sea cucumber (trepang) is a prized delicacy in Asia.
- It can eject its internal organs to escape, then regrow them.
- It cleans the seabed by eating sand and detritus.