Tentacles help filter food: burrowing sea cucumber

1 of 2 Burrowing Sea Cucumber / Dan Hershman / License

The tentacles of the burrowing sea cucumber capture floating particulate food matter using on a complex particle trap, mucus, and an oral passageway.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Get, store, or distribute resources >
	Capture, absorb, or filter >
	Solid particles

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Self cleaning air filter in house Self cleaning water filter for home use Self cleaning filter placed in sewage processing plants

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"The feeding tentacles, being part of the water-vascular system, can be extended by hydraulic pressure. The four basic types of tentacles are dendritic, peltate, digitate, and pinnate [burrowing sea cucumbers' tentacles are dendritic]. Dendritic tentacles gather small particles suspended in the water. Particles adhere to a coating of mucus on the tentacle, then the sea cucumber places it into its mouth and removes the food. This is suspension feeding. Cucumeria miniata [Burrowing sea cucumber] is a common suspension feeder." (Lambert 1997:6)

About the inspiring organism

Cucumeria
Cucumeria

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Self-cleaning filters for homes, businesses, sewage treatment plants.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Industrial and consumer level air or water filtration

References

Lambert P. 1997. Sea cucumbers of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, and Puget Sound. Vancouver, BC: UCB Press. 166 p.

Tentacles help filter food: burrowing sea cucumber

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