Sea cucumbers eject their guts to escape predators

Nature
Sea cucumbers eject their guts to escape predators

Sea cucumbers defend themselves by dramatically ejecting their sticky internal organs to distract predators, then remarkably regenerate them within months.

When threatened, sea cucumbers employ a bizarre defense: they forcefully expel their internal organs, a process called evisceration. This sticky, branch-like mass tangles or distracts attackers like fish and crabs, giving the sea cucumber a chance to escape. This extreme form of self-sacrifice, similar to a lizard shedding its tail, is observed in over 1,500 species worldwide.

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