E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

How are echinoderms classified?

All echinoderms belong to the animal kingdom
and the phylum Echinodermata.
Did you know that the purple sea urchin
is an echinoderm? Heres how its
classified:
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Echinodermata
Class - Echinoidea
Order - Camarodonta
Family - Parechinidae
Genus - Paracentrotus
Species - Paracentrotus lividus
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

(By FredD - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?

curid=29410574)

All About Symmetry

Sea urchins have radial symmetry. This
means that they can be divided into
symmetrical parts from a central point.
Imagine how you would cut up a pie of a
pizza!
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

Photo from : http://study.com/academy/lesson/radical-symmetry-in-biology-

definition-examples.html

Sea Urchin Nervous Systems

Sea urchins have a simple nervous system.
They have no true brain but, they do have a
central nerve ring around the mouth. From
there are five vertical nerves that branch out
into smaller nerves. Sea urchins dont have
eyes but, the can detect light, touch, and
chemicals.
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

Image from : http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Inverts.html

Sea Urchin Digestion

Sea urchins do not have complex digestive
systems. It all starts at the mouth, which is
located at the bottom of the body. From here
food passes through the esophagus into the
cardiac stomach, then the pyloric stomach.
Next the waste exits at the top of the body.
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

Image from : http://purpleseaurchinreasource.weebly.com/digestiverespiratory.html

How do Sea Urchins Breath?

Sea urchins have external gills around their
mouth to help them breath. However, some
sea urchins dont have gills, They use their
tube feet to exchange gasses.
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

Image from : http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/sea-urchins/#/sea-

urchins01-sea-urchins-kelp-forest_17928_600x450.jpg

The Way Sea Urchins Move

When you first look at a sea urchin it may
seem like it is not able to move, but if you
watch them carefully you might be able to see
them walking. Sea urchins can move over
hard surfaces thanks to their tube feet. They
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

have a special system called a water vascular

system. By controlling the amount of water in
this system it can extend and contact its feet
to move.

Image from : http://www.mermaids4cetaceans.org/mother-oceans-gift-to-us.html

Sea Urchin Reproduction

Most commonly, sea urchins lets their eggs
and sperm float freely in the ocean. The
process where an egg and sperm meet is
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

called external fertilization. The fertilized egg

will then become a free-swimming blastula,
which soon transforms into a larva. After a
few months, the developing larva sinks to the
ocean floor where it will metamorphoses into
an adult.

Image from : http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/echinoid-

directory/intro/reproduction.html

Did You Know ?

Sea urchins have sharp spines to ward off
predators. Some of them are even poisonous!
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

Red sea urchins can survive up to 200 years

in the wild. Pretty cool!
Sea urchins have five sharp teeth. These
teeth are so strong that they are able to drill
through rock!
Sea urchins can be found in many different
colors and sizes; it all depends on the species.
Most sea urchins are black, brown, purple,
red, or green.
There are about 200 different species of sea
urchins that can be found in oceans all over
the globe.

Left : By Ed Bierman - http://www.flickr.com/photos/edbierman/3567070182/, CC BY 2.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29936204

Right : By New Zealand-American Submarine Ring of Fire 2005 Exploration; NOAA Vents
Program. - NOAA Photo Library: expl1825, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17986686
E Echinoderms Amazing Animals (lesson 1)

References
1. Z. (n.d.). Echinoderms (starfish, brittle star, sea urchin,
feather star, sea cucumber). Retrieved March 17, 2017, from
http://www.starfish.ch/reef/echinoderms.html

2. Paracentrotus lividus. (2017, March 14). Retrieved March 17,

2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracentrotus_lividus

3. "Purple sea urchin." Purple sea urchin, Rocky Shores,

Invertebrates, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.
<https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-
guide/invertebrates/purple-sea-urchin>.

4. Sea urchin. (2017, March 16). Retrieved March 17, 2017,

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_urchin

5. Sea urchin Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2017, from

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/sea_urchin_facts/4
79/

6. "Sea Urchins." Sea Urchins. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

<https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/SeaUrchins
.html>.