Head to head
Predatory Tunicate vs Sea Cucumber
The predatory tunicate and sea cucumber both live on the ocean floor, but one snaps shut on passing prey while the other quietly eats its way through sediment.
| Predatory Tunicate | Sea Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Megalodicopia hians | Holothuroidea |
| Diet | Carnivore | Omnivore |
| Feeding method | Traps mobile prey with a hood-like mouth | Ingests sediment and digests organic matter within it |
| Defence mechanism | None notable documented | Can eject its own internal organs at predators |
| Body form | Soft, sac-like body with a hood-like oral opening | Soft, elongated, tube-shaped body |
| Mobility | Permanently attached to the seafloor | Slowly crawls across the seafloor |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean |
Predatory Tunicate vs Sea Cucumber: common questions
Which is the more active predator, the predatory tunicate or the sea cucumber?
The predatory tunicate is the active predator of the two, having abandoned filter feeding entirely in favour of a hood-like mouth that snaps shut on small animals, while the sea cucumber simply ingests sediment as it slowly crawls along the seafloor.
Does either species have an unusual defence mechanism?
Yes, several sea cucumber species can eject some of their own internal organs at a predator as a startling defence, a trait the predatory tunicate does not share, relying instead on its fixed position and trap-like mouth.
Which one can move from place to place?
The sea cucumber can move, slowly crawling across the ocean floor using rows of small tube feet, while the predatory tunicate remains permanently attached to a hard surface for its entire adult life.