Sand dollars
Sand dollars are in the Echinoid (Echinoderms) class of marine animals. When they are living, they are covered with a suit of moveable spines that encompass the entire shell. Like its close relative the sea urchin, the sand dollar has five sets of pores arranged in a petal pattern. The pores are used to move sea water into its internal water-vascular system, which allows the creature to move.
Sand dollars live beyond mean low water on top of or just beneath the surface of sandy or muddy areas. The spines on the somewhat flattened underside of the animal allow it to burrow or to slowly creep through the sand. Fine, hair-like cilia cover the tiny spines. Tubefeet or podia that line the food grooves, move food to the mouth opening which is in the center of the star shaped grooves on the underside of the animal called the oral surface. Its food consists of plankton and organic particles that end up in the sandy bottom.
On the ocean bottom, sand dollars are frequently found together. This is due in part to their preference of soft bottom areas, which are convenient for their reproduction. The sexes are separate and, as with most echinoids, gametes are released into the water column. The free-swimming larvae metamorphose through several stages before the skeleton or test begins to form, and they become bottom dwellers.
The name "sand dollar" is a reference to their round flat shape, which is similar to a large coin.
The term "sand dollar" can also refer to the test left when a sand dollar dies. By the time the test washes up on the beach, it is usually missing its velvety covering of minute spines and has a somewhat bleached appearance due to its exposure to the sun.
Taxonomy
kingdom | Animalia (animals)phylum | Echinodermata (echinoderms)
class | Echinoidea (sea urchins)
Other members of phylum Echinodermata:
Asteroidea (sea stars) | Crinoidea (sea lilies, feather stars...) | Holothuroidea (sea cucumber) | ... | (total: 5)
Sand dollars
Sand dollar vid
Time Lapse Sand Dollar moving accross the sand
Runtime: 0:28 | 34777 views | 42 Comments
Snippets
Species Information:Diet: Crustacean larvae, small copepods, detritus, diatoms, algae;
Size: To 3 inches across (7.6 cm);
Range: Low intertidal to about 130 feet (40 m) from Alaska to Baja California;
Relatives: Sea urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers; Phylum: Echinodermata;
Conservation Notes: The sandy seafloor seems to be barren-until you look closer. Diversity is low, but species concentration is high. Sand dollars are usually crowded together over an area-as many as 625 sand dollars can live in one square yard (.85 sq m).
Detritus and microscopic organisms settled on the sand provide food for scavengers and filter feeders-like burrowing anemones. Above the sand, crabs scurry for food. Flatfishes, skates and some sharks hide in the sand.
The sandy seafloor is a valuable resource and needs protection. Bottom trawling causes damage to seafloor habitats and accidentally catches and kills tons of marine life every year. The good news is that some states have enacted laws regulating trawling. Visit the Seafood Watch section on our web site to learn more about trawling and choosing seafood wisely.
Cool Facts The sand dollar's mouth has a jaw with five teethlike sections to grind up tiny plants and animals. Sometimes a sand dollar "chews" its food for fifteen minutes before swallowing. It can take two days for the food to digest.
Scientists can age a sand dollar by counting the growth rings on the plates of the exoskeleton. Sand dollars usually live six to 10 years.
California sheepheads, starry flounders and large pink sea stars prey on sand dollars. When threatened by pink sea stars, sand dollars bury themselves under the sand. Observers have seen a pink sea star leave a wide path of buried sand dollars as it moves across a sand dollar bed.
Sand dollar pics
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Sand dollar news
Updated every 30 minutes
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Sand dollar gifts
Some cool gifts here...
B/S SAND DOLLAR Nautical Candy Mold Chocolate
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Sterling Silver Large Plain Sand Dollar Pendant
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Genuine Sand Dollar Drop Earrings- Brand New
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Sand Dollar Summer
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New Sterling Silver Beach Sand Dollar Pendant or Charm
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Usually ships in 1-2 business days
CoasterStone Etched Sand Dollar Coasters
Sand dollar links
- SAND DOLLARS types of sanddollars
- SAND DOLLARSSand dollars are of the Phylum Echinodermata, class Echinoidea.
- Sand Dollars, Starfish and Seashells
- Quality Shells has sand dollars, starfish & seashells for sale, also seashell, nautical & craft items. Sand dollars & starfish for wedding favors.
- Seashells from seashell world.
- Shop and buy hundreds of seashells online at wholesale prices at SeashellWorld.com
- Britannica online
- Britannica online encyclopedia article on sand dollar:
Here's my favorite link:
Comments
Sand dollar
dustytoes wrote...
Everyone loves sand dollars. I'm lensrolling this to my seashell lens!
Posted June 28, 2009
praise wrote...
I love the beach and all it offers, you can always find some sort of treasure. Visit my lens and sign my guestbook-thank you.
Debra
Posted March 03, 2009
EelKat wrote...
EelKat
I love sand dollars. Around march each year they wash up in the hundreds. Me and Buddy (my dog) go out and collect them all up, keep the dead ones, and take all the live ones back out into the oceans. They get trapped in the sand bar during high tide than can't get back over it during low tide, and by the time the tide come back to wash them out again, they all die. I can't stand seeing that happen, so that's why I collect them all up and carry them back over the sandbar, to the deep side again.
Posted August 21, 2008
BYE!
Hope to see you again soon...
HILLANDGLEN 
