{"id":43023,"date":"2024-10-25T12:11:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T10:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/055e7e37-315f-4924-b2c0-dad997e2fdbb"},"modified":"2024-10-25T13:27:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T11:27:26","slug":"bottom-feeder-this-animal-not-only-breathes-through-its-anus-but-eats-through-it-too-meet-the-worlds-most-amazing-arse","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/bottom-feeder-this-animal-not-only-breathes-through-its-anus-but-eats-through-it-too-meet-the-worlds-most-amazing-arse\/","title":{"rendered":"Bottom feeder: This animal not only breathes through its anus, but eats through it too – meet the world’s most amazing arse"},"content":{"rendered":"

This has to be the world’s most weirdest bottom, says Stuart Blackman <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Friday, 25 October 2024 at 10:11 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Like many of its kind, the giant California sea cucumber Parastichopus californicus<\/em> is an anal ventilator’ – it pumps sea water rhythmically in and out of its rear end to aerate finely branched structures in its large intestine called respiratory trees, which absorb oxygen from the water.<\/strong><\/p>

What sets P. californicus apart from the rest is that it doesn’t just breathe through its anus -it eats through it, too. The respiratory trees also serve as filters, sieving algae<\/a> and other microbes suspended in the water for digestion in the usual manner.<\/p>

Meanwhile, up at the front, the cucumber’s oral tentacles<\/a> rummage around for morsels in the sediment. With a mouth at each end, the creature is able to exploit two different food sources simultaneously.<\/p>

Many other animals, including featherstars and some worms and crustaceans, are also known to anally ventilate, so the behaviour might yet turn out to be a rather common one.<\/p>

Definitely worthy of a place on our weirdest sea creatures list<\/a> if not weirdest animals<\/a><\/p>

Meet another weird sea cucumber that fires poisonous intestines from its butt to deter predators<\/a>. Don’t worry, they grow back…<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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