Are all sea cucumbers toxic when provoked?
I have dived a lot in open sea-water, and sea cucumbers are the most friendly out-of-harm creatures. As a diver, you can touch and grab them all you want, if you want. (not that we did, as they are simply too friendly). They are even considered a delicacy. There is no toxic reference to sea cucumbers at all. From wikipedia: Sea cucumbers are generally scavengers, feeding on debris in the benthic layer. Their diet consists of plankton and other organic matter found in the sea. One way they might get a supply of food is to position themselves in a current where they can catch food that flow by with their tentacles when they open. Another way is to sift through the bottom sediments using their tentacles. They can be found in great numbers beneath fish farms.
