The Gravel Sea Cucumber is a cucumber-shaped sea creature that is mainly found in the south-west coastal waters of England where there are strong flowing tidal currents. It is often called the ‘Burrowing Sea Cucumber’ because it buries its long body into coarse gravel or through the sediments of coral reefs.

The Gravel Sea Cucumber has a long flexible body with lots of tentacles around its mouth and the tentacles can be seen above the gravel seabed. It has a creamy yellow body which is about ten to fifteen centimetres long and its tentacles are approximately ten centimetres in length. It has twenty light grey feathery-looking tentacles that can quickly be drawn back into the body if disturbed. The tentacles are quite sticky which helps the Gravel Sea Cucumber to collect food off the seabed.

The Gravel Sea Cucumber can move along the seabed by using its 'tube feet' which are fluid-filled muscular tubes with suckers. It can also make its body soft or hard. If this sea creature wants to squeeze through narrow cracks, it can make its body soft and very flexible and if it wants to bury its body in the seabed, it can make its body hard and stiff.