Sand Dollars

Sand Dollars: part of the Echinoderm phylum Closely related to sea urchins Class Echinoidea: sea urchins & sand dollars

Where do they live? In the Intertidal Zone of the beach (your best chance at seeing one would be when the tide is at a low level)

Why does the petal pattern exist on the sand dollar? The petal pattern is a set of pores in the endoskeleton through which tube feet can project from the body Tube feet used to attach (for suction) to hard surfaces and to eat

What do they eat? Mostly plankton

What preys on sand dollars? Sea stars Snails Skates

When you find a sand dollar on the beach, is it dead or alive? If it looks like this, dead!

When sand dollars are alive, they look like this…

Sand dollars have DARK spines that look almost like fur. For what are these used? 1) movement 2) camouflage

Sand Dollars 1) aboral surface: the outside or top of a sand dollar 2) oral surface: the bottom of the sand dollar where the mouth is

Sand dollar structure and movement: 5Vljs 5Vljs

How do they eat? Use cilia to capture small food particles Use tube feet to capture large food particles

Did you know? Sand dollars purposefully consume sand with their food to add weight to their body to help stabilize themselves in the water!

The Aristotle’s Lantern (tooth-like structure) looks like a star!

Did you know? The Legend of the Sand Dollar: It is said that Christ left the sand dollar as a symbol of his faith: 5 holes commemorate the 5 wounds of Christ vsi2E vsi2E