<h1 class="ql-align-center">Sea Cucumber</h1> <h2>Context:</h2> <ul><li>Recently, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at Mandapam, Tamil Nadu seized two tonnes of sea cucumber, a banned marine species.</li></ul> <h2>About:</h2> <ul><li>Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contain starfish and sea urchins.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">They are marine invertebrates that live on the seafloor found generally in tropical regions.&nbsp;</li></ul> <ul><li>They are named for their unusual oblong shape that is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding.</li></ul> <ul><li>They can propel their own toxic internal organs from their bodies in the direction of an attacker and the organs grow back, and it may save them from being eaten.</li></ul> <ul><li>They are benthic, meaning they live on the ocean floor</li></ul> <h2>Status:</h2> <ul><li>The species is considered Endangered by the International Union for conservation of nature (IUCN).</li></ul> <ul><li>Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, India.</li></ul> <ul><li>Included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>Threat:</h2> <ul><li>Illegal Trading and smuggling for food and traditional medicine</li></ul> <h2>Conservation:</h2> <ul><li>In 2020, the Lakshadweep Islands administration created the world’s first conservation area - 239 sq. km - for sea cucumbers.</li></ul>