Sea Cucumbers / Balåte'
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Sea Cucumbers / Balåte'
Balåte', as they are called in Chamoru, belong to a group of animals known as echinoderms which also includes sea urchins and starfishes. The word echinoderm means "spiny skin" and refers to the bony plates, spines, or spicules which either cover or are imbedded in the skin. Echinoderms also have a body plan based on radial symmetry in which many of the body parts are arranged symmetrically like spokes radiating from a common center. Echinoderms do not have a brain, eyes, or ears, but have a nerve network that enables them to function.
Balåte' are large elongate echinoderms that have small bony spicules embedded in the skin. There are at least 40 kinds of balåte' on Guam. Most have a rough leathery skin with tiny tubed feet on the underside.
Many kinds of balåte' have delicate branching tentacles surrounding the mouth. These are used to filter particulate matter and plankton from the water or to rub against the bottom and are thrust one at a time into the mouth where the food is wiped off. Other kinds have a simple hole for a mouth and ingest sand or debris from the bottom. The organic matter is digested and a trail of sand is expelled from the opposite end.
There are also many kinds of balåte' that can eject filaments of an extremely sticky and irritating substance when disturbed. Some even eject the entire digestive tract which can be regenerated. This is an effective defense against most predators. Members of the family Synaptidae have a thin delicate skin with tiny sharp spicules which can break off and irritate the skin. The large synaptid cucumber (Synaptis maculata) can stretch its body to a length of perhaps 6 feet(1.8 m) and is common in shallow weedy and sandy areas.
Many of the larger kinds of balåte' can be dried and eaten and are considered a delicacy by the Chinese.
Photos © Robert F. Myers
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
