Sea Cucumber Tube Feet Survive Over Three Years After Detachment

D. student reported that tube feet detached from the sea cucumber Psolus fabricii remained structurally intact for more than three years while kept only in seawater. The finding differs from the behavior of lizard tails, which decompose quickly after separation from the body.

Jobson described the process during an episode of the SciencePodcast. She noted that the detached limbs healed at the amputation site and continued to show signs of viability without additional nutrients or substrate. The tube feet were monitored under laboratory conditions that consisted solely of seawater changes.

Lizard tails that detach during predator encounters typically break down within days or weeks. The sea cucumber structures showed no comparable decomposition over the multi-year period. The difference raises questions about the cellular or structural properties that allow prolonged survival after detachment.