Sand Dollar Research Paper

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The sand dollar is a marine invertebrate, a living animal, closely related to the starfish, sea lily, the sea cucumber and the sea urchin. Scientific classification of the Sand Dollar belongs the kingdom of Animalia, to the order of Clypeasteroida from the phylum Echinoids class, which means "spiny skinned creature." A common Sand Dollar of the Pacific Ocean is one that is classified by its genus or Family, classification Dendrasteridea, Genus Dendraster, with species name Dendraster excentricus (Rubio). Dendraster means tree or star, excentricus meaning off center because, upon examining the shell more closely, the five leaf or petal pattern observed to be a slightly off center. The Sand Dollar’s characteristics are a flat, circular outer They are often found half-buried in the sand, with their upper surface slanting in the direction of the waters current. If for some reason the animal is uprooted from its position and they are turned upside down they are unable to upright themselves back on their dorsal side, they will eventual die because of this. The endoskeleton of them turns a white color and this is the common way people must often find them washed ashore. In turn brings on an interesting story that some have concocted on the ledge of the sand dollar, when the animal has died and it is in the dried up state it is said that if you pick up and shake it you will her rattling. Some religious member like to believe this tail, in the ledge it states that if you “break the center open and here you will release the five white doves awaiting to spread good will and peace” (Galitzin). In all actuality what is inside the “test” the official name of the deceased animal is “the sand dollar's mouth has a jaw with five teeth like 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”

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