Abstract
MY experience of about three months in Bermuda and Jamaica fully bears out Mr. Guppy and Mr. Kent's view that the Holothurians do not feed on living coral. They were moderately common in both localities close to the shore, where corals are comparatively scarce, and are mainly of the massive kinds, such as the Astræas, against which the tentacles of a Holothurian would be useless. There were a few branching Oculinas here and there, but not enough to support the Holothurians. But further, some of the latter bury their bodies in the mud or sand, leaving only the tentacles exposed; and I have watched these thrusting their tentacles into their stomachs right up to the base in the comical way described by Mr. Kent. It is quite clear that these were not feeding on living coral. I did not, however, see them actually taking up sand and shell and thrusting it down, as Mr. Kent did; in fact I was puzzled as to what they were feeding on. From the way the tentacles were set, standing nearly erect, I fancied they were catching swimming Creatures, as other tentacled animals do. This idea is supported, though not proved, by a fine specimen from the zoological Station at Naples, which has a half-swallowed fish protruding from its mouth. The specimen is in the Bristol Musenm. It proves at all events that they do not reject this kind of food. Possibly in default of it they may fall back upon sand and shell, and the minute organisms contained in these. Some of my experiences with these creatures were interesting. At Bermuda two large kinds used to lie quite exposed in shallow water. I might have guessed from this that they would probably he protected in some way. I used to wade along shore carrying a fishing-basket and a landing-net, and one day, as my basket was full, I put a couple into the landing-net to carry home. As their skins were quite hard, I thought they would travel well so. After handling them, I found my hands smarted a little, and the irritation lasted till bedtime. I found that little bits of their skin had got under mine, and this caused the irritation. As I was going home, I found my Holothurians were literally melting away; long streamers of a colourless gelatinous substance were hanging down between the meshes. Of course I threw the nasty things away, and had a dreadful job to get the net clean. I attributed my misfortune to the sun, so another day I packed a couple up comfortably at the bottom of my basket, which is very closely made. After an hour or two I was horrified to find long streamers hanging down from the basket of the same horrible substance. They had literally gone to pieces again, and spoilt everything in the basket. Shortly after, I left for Jamaica, and there I took out a wide-mouthed bottle and brought one home in triumph. Being engaged that evening, I left the Holothurian in the bottle all night. Next morning the creature was all there, but he had cleared out the whole of his inside; his intestinal canal and the beautiful tree-like organ were perfect. The latter was still alive and was waving about in the water in the prettiest way, and looking remarkably like branchiæ. Some accessory organs along the intestinal canal were exhibiting rhythmical pulsations. Altogether it was a most interesting sight. But my poor Holothurian was only a tube. I did not know at the time that he could grow a complete new inside.
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GRENFELL, J. Holothurians. Nature 27, 508 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/027508a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/027508a0
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