Underwater ecosystems are no different and feature several types of decomposers that also appear on land. If decomposers weren't there, producers would not get any rich nutrients and humus from the soil. There are some 1,250 known species, and many of these animals are indeed shaped like soft-bodied cucumbers. Sea Cucumber Facts and Information Introduction to Sea Cucumber. Phytoplankton are the major producers of the sea. All play an important role as decomposers, clearing algae from the substrate and … Decomposers break up the animal, making it into nutrients for the sea. Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contains starfish and sea urchins. There are many species found and experts believed that they may not have even identified all of them yet. Some of the nutrients that decomposers help release back into the ocean are phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding. One more oceanic decomposer is the marine worm. Nourishment: Are sea cucumbers consumers, producers or decomposers? Decomposers in the Ocean: Role and Examples. Another decomposer in the ocean is the sea cucumber. Seaweeds are also oceanic producers. Sea cucumbers are actually consumers because they eat any organic material they find, and event sometimes the mud or sand they live in. In fact, they have been fished from the Pacific Ocean for over 170 years (). The Sea Cucumber is a type of marine life form. some sea cucumbers predators are starfish and bottom feeding fish Suspension feeding species of sea cucumber position themselves in the opposite direction to current flow, by doing this they are able to catch food more efficiently, however H. impatiens sift through the bottom sediments using their tentacles. Sea cucumbers have been used as a food source and medicinal ingredient in Asian and Middle Eastern countries for centuries. It is commonly known that sea cucumbers act as decomposers … What are the sea cucumbers enemies? Sea cucumbers are echinoderms—like starfish and sea urchins. In this ScienceStruck article, we discuss the importance of decomposers, and the various creatures which perform this role in the vast oceanic zones of our planet. https://belizebarrierreefhaileyfiel.weebly.com/decomposers--detritivores.html These sea decomposers include crabs, sea urchins, shrimp, and seaweed. Decomposers are an integral part of any healthy ecosystem, breaking down plant and animal matter and releasing more simplistic nutrients that can be used as energy by other creatures. Decomposers are important to the food chain. Decomposers and Detritivores are living organisms that are thought to be the same because they have the same diet. They are a type of echinoderm so they have an endoskeleton. As a part of an ecosystem, all decomposers are important in sustaining the food chain. Sea cucumbers use the tentacles around their mouth to … Organisms belonging to another class of marine life, the producers, then utilize these inorganic nutrients to produce organic matter. Some of the most common species here on Koh Tao are the Pinkfish, Black sea cucumber, Marbled sea cucumber, Orange spiked sea cucumber and on occasions, the Giant Synaptid Cucumber. Many of the marine species have similar traits or roles in the ecosystem like terrestrial ones who live within the sea bed. But they are not the same, they have ... echinoderms like sea stars, and sea cucumbers. They also have various forms of connective tissues that comprise them. Some sea cucumbers are actually consumers because they eat any organic material they find, and many of these are... The animal, making it into nutrients for the sea 1,250 known species, and many of marine! 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