MaltaWildplants.com

MWP admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Posts: 3027 Location: Malta

While having a nice bathe at Fekruna bay (near Xemxija Church) a group of 4 young chinese men came nearby and spent half an hour or so snorkeling. They caught numerous of these harmless ugly marine creatures which looked like sausages (or human s#!t).

Do they have an edible use? Chinese cuisine perhaps? Substitute for seaweed?

Is it Ok to catch them or they are some protected marine species ?

sandra · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:

It is a type of Echinoderm called a sea cucumber. They are harmless creatures. This specimen might be a white spot cucumber .. Holothuria polii. and lives at a depth between 1-30m. Usually common on sandy bottoms. As far as I know no protection status.

I never thought of them as a culinary delicacy. But I guess the chinese are great at these things.

MWP admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Posts: 3027 Location: Malta

Thanks for sharing the knowledge...

Sdravko · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:04 am Post subject:

the chinese pickle them and also eat them raw. they say its good for the manhood. Very Happy

. i guess you must be chinese to make such sacrifices.
but chinese have a saying that they eat everything with four legs except chairs and tables. they should add they eat everything with any number of or without legs. Laughing

sandra · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:27 pm Post subject:

Oh dear! They never go hungry I guess. I've heard they eat all sorts of things and their natural remedies include a variety of species some of which are endangered.

Im not sure if its the chinese but somewhere they even dessicate sea horses and grate them as some cure. Poor things! I never even got to see one in the wild myself.

MWP admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Posts: 3027 Location: Malta

Sea cucumbers = holothurians.

Seven species of Holothuria have been recorded from the Maltese Islands, including Holothuria polii, but definite identification is only possible with examination of certain microcopic features since all species of Holothuria look superficially alike.

The Japanese eat sea cucumbers of various species as do the Chinese and the Malays etc. If anybody wants more information, look up 'trepang' or 'beche-de-mer'.

Conchiolin · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject:

OK this sea cucmber is commonly known as "Qallut il-Bahar" (due to its particular shape,size and colour!!! please don't make me translate the name in english.) in Maltese or "Buzzu tal-Bahar" as described in Wildlife of the Maltese islands but i think it's been couched in euphemistic language...... Laughing

An interesting defence mechanism is that the Sea cucmber ejects a viscous liquid that solidifies when it comes into contact with water and if threatened seriously it ejects its stomach towards the predator as a divergent and after some time the stomach is regenerated. I wish i could do that. I would throw my viscera to every predator who annoys me. Cool

According to the book the Holothuria tubulosa is Very Common. So i don't think it's protected but i think it's a benign organism, it eats the organic debris found in the sand much like an earthworm in the soil.

wolf · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:

must say this is all very interesting... but I think I will skip dinner tonight

Hi Sdravko - welcome back

wolf

wolf · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:53 pm Post subject:

must say this is all very interesting... but I think I will skip dinner tonight

Hi Sdravko - welcome back

wolf