Sand Dollar

About the Sand Dollar

Flattened relatives of sea urchins. Their distinctive five-petal pattern on top is actually five sets of pore pairs used for respiration. Their mouths are on the bottom. They live partially buried in sand. They are found in dense beds, sometimes thousands per square meter. The white shells found on beaches are their skeletons (tests). Live sand dollars are dark purple and covered in tiny velvety spines. They can live 10+ years. They feed by filtering food from sand. Over 150 species exist. Their shape reduces drag in sandy bottoms.