Echinarachnius parma

Echinarachnius parma

Common sand dollar

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
SPECIES
Echinarachnius parma
Length
4.7-5.9
1.9-2.3
cminch
cm inch 

Echinarachnius parma, the common sand dollar, is a species of sand dollar native to the Northern Hemisphere.

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  • Echinarachnius parma obesus H.L. Clark, 1914
  • Echinarachnius parma parma (Lamarck, 1816)
  • Echinarachnius parma sakkalinensis Argamakowa, 1934

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Appearance

The tests (shells) of these sand dollars are round, flat and disc-like, typically measuring 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter. The entire shell is also covered with maroon-colored moveable spines. The color is a purplish brown, becoming bleached white when washed ashore. As in other echinoderms, five radial furrows branch from the mouth on the animal's underside.

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This and other species of Echinarachnius have been around since the Pliocene epoch.

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Distribution

Geography

It is found in the North Pacific and Northwest Atlantic, on the North American east coast from New Jersey north, as well as in Alaska, Siberia, British Columbia, and Japan. It inhabits isolated areas on sandy bottoms below the low tide level down to a depth of 5,000 feet (1,500 m).

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Seasonal behavior

Population

References

1. Echinarachnius parma Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinarachnius_parma

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