May 2009 The Shoreline Page 19
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The Carolina Harley-Davidson
Dealers Association Rippin' 69
69th Annual Spring CHDDARally
Friday May 15
Gates open 10:00am to 10:00pm
10:00am - 6:00pm
10:00am - 6:00pm
12:00pm - 2:30pm
1:00pm - 3:00pm
3:00pm - 5:30pm
6:00pm - 8:00pm
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Saturday May 16
Gates open 10:00am to 10:00pm
10:00am - 6:00pm
10:00am - 6:00pm
10:00am - 12:00pm
10:00am - 1:00pm
12:00pm - 2:30pm
12:00pm
1:00pm
3:00pm - 5:30pm
3:00pm
3:00pm
6:00pm - 8:00pm
8:00pm - 10:00pm
*Harley-Davidson Motorcycles only
Sunday May 17
8:00am
Service
www.chdda.com
CHDDA Dealer Sale Mall
Vendors
Music - Ivy Road
Dirt Drag Practice *
Music - Vices
Music - Billy & the Soulshakers
Music - Night Crawlers
CHDDA Dealer Mall
Vendors
Ride In Bike Show Registration *
Bike Games Registration *
Music - Ivy Road
Bike Show Judging Begins
Bike Games *
Music - Vices
Bike Show Awards
Dirt Drag Competition *
Music - Billy & The Soulshakers
Music - Benny Wilson
Christian Motorcyclist Association Church
ulcl^
www.coastalmulch.com
Palm Trees - Red Mulch
Gold Mulch - Harwood
Mulch - Pine Straw
River Rock - Brick Chips
Topsoll and MORE!
Mon. - Sat. 7:30 - 5:00
We Deliver!!
252-393-1722
5516 Hwy. 24, Bogue, NC 28570
Q. We found something on the beach
that someone said was a sea cucumber.
Is there such a thing?
A. Sometimes truth is stranger than
fiction. Yes, there is such a thing as a sea
cucumber. Actually, it's a relative of sea
stars, sand dollars and sea urchins, even
though it looks nothing like them. All
are echinoderms and have a five-spoke
Sea cucumbers have tough, leathery skin for protection and come in a
variety of colors and textures. Photo by Jennifer Blaine
pattern, which isn't obvious to the casual
observer.
The sea cucumber you found was
most likely reddish-brown and looked
like a prickly sausage or golf ball. That's
because these animals can take on most
any shape. This flexibility enables them
to squeeze under rocks and ledges and
into crevices to escape predators or
avoid strong waves and currents. When
you find a sea cucumber on the beach,
it has usually been tossed ashore by
rough seas.
It's hard to tell which end is which on
these animals. When they're stressed they
withdraw the tentacles that ordinarily
protrude from the front. They live in a
variety of environments - sometimes sub
merged and attached to rocky sur
faces by their tube feet, sometimes
hanging onto rocks and ledges in
crevices. Others live in shallow
water or near low tide level, and
still others inhabit deeper water
and lie exposed on a rocky floor,
^ sandy surface, or mud flat. Some
rjl burrow into sandy mud and are
never seen.
These odd sea creatures are slow
movers, getting around on rows of
tiny tube feet, except for the sand-bur
rowing variety, which move by muscle
contraction. All feed using sticky, slimy
tentacles to snare microscopic plants
and animals.
Sea cucumbers have a well-developed
sense of touch, but are relatively insensi
tive to light. Their tough, leathery skin
offers some pro
tection against
predators, such
as fish and crabs,
but some spe
cies have most
unusual forms
of self-defense.
Warty glands on
the surface exude
tough, sticky, re-
pellant threads.
In many cases,
the animal con
tracts and forces
out its internal or
gans! The attack
er dines on the or
gans and leaves_^
the cucumber's
empty, leathery
body casing to
regenerate a new inside. How weird is
that! Sand burrowing cucumbers break
into two or more pieces when roughly
handled and regenerate the missing part
- a cool survival technique!
Information provided by theNorth Carolina
Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The state
operates three public aquariums; one in Pine
Knoll Shores, another at Fort Fisher and a
third on Roanoke Island. The aquariums are
administered by the North Carolina Depart
ment of Environment and Natural Resources,
and are designed to inspire appreciation and
conservation of North Carolina's aquatic
environment. For more information about
the Aquariums, log onto wwiv.ncaquariums.
com, or call 800-832-FISH.