Echinarachnius+parma

=//Echinarachnius parma//= = (sand dollar) =

**Domain:** **Eukaryota**
**Kingdom: Animalia** **Phylum: Echinodermata** **Class: Echinoidea** **Order: Clypeasteroida** **Suborder: Scutellina** **Family: Echinarachniidae** **Genus: Echinarachnius** **Species: Echinarachnius parma**

__**Description**__
These sand dollars are found in the intertidal zones and a little deeper. Now modified because it is no longer needed for protection, the spine allows the echinarachnius parma to burrow or to slowly creep through the sand. The tiny spines are covered by fine, hair-like cilia. These cilias move food to the mouth opening which is located at the center of the star shaped grooves on the underside of the animal. The tube feet of the characteristic water vascular system helps move the food to the mouth, as well as in burrowing. Pedicellariae is an organ found on the small spine that are small jawlike structures. Pedicellariae function in grooming the sand dollar and keeping would-be parasites away.

__**Unique Features**__
At about 5-10cm in diameter when fully grown, these animalshave the same five-part radial symmetry like the phylum.

__**Type of Reproduction:**__ sexual
 * __Type of Cell:__** Eukaryote

**__Food Habit__**
These heterotrophs feed on algae and fragments of organic material found in the substrate.

**__Predators__**
Thick-lipped, eel-like ocean pout, Macrozoarces americanus and other predators include several species of bony fish and sea stars feed on sand dollars.

__**Habitat**__
Sand dollars are found in the intertidal zones and a little deeper. They burrow into the sand for protection and for food, and often their skeletons will wash ashore after a storm.

**__Symbiotic Relationships__**
Sand Dollars are actively being searched by the Dissodactylus mellitae which prefers to live in the sand dollar by burring itself in the sand.

**__Other Links__**
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 * [],
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinarachnius_parma
 * []

**__Interesting Facts__**

 * Sand dollars are the second most important in reworking surficial sediments, and modify [[image:http://www.echinoids.nl/Echinoids/Echinarachnius-parma/Echinarachnius-parma-B.jpg width="207" height="211" align="right"]]at least a third of the total Bank surface in the study area.
 * It is native to the Northern Hemisphere
 * The entire shell is a purplish brown, but they become bleached white when washed ashore.

**__ Work Cited: __**

 * Ables, Jessica. "ADW: Echinarachnius Parma: Information." //Animal Diversity Web//. Web. 08 June 2011. [].
 * (12), In Scopus. "ScienceDirect - Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology : Changing Residence: Dynamics of the Symbiotic Relationship between Dissodactylus Mellitae Rathbun (Pinnotheridae) and Mellita Quinquiesperforata (Leske) (Echinodermata)." //ScienceDirect - Home//. Web. 08 June 2011. [].
 * "Echinarachnius Parma." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 09 June 2011. .
 * "Echinarachnius Parma." //Echinoids.nl//. Web. 09 June 2011. [].