Echinoderms -- Animals
Evolutionary Milestones
Echinoderms are the first animals to have an enclosed body cavity.
Habitat
Echinoderms live in the ocean.
Anatomical/Structural Features
Echinoderms have spines or bumps on their endoskeleton, water vascular systems, tubed feet with suction cups.
Symmetry
Echinoderms have radial symmetry as adults and bilateral symmetry as larvae.
How They Acquire Nutrients
Echinoderms are heterotrophic and can be herbivores, decomposers, and carnivores.
What They Eat
Echinoderms eat other invertebrates (such as bivalves, snails, crustaceans, marine worms, and other echinoderms), fish, dead animals, algae, and corals.
What Eats Them
Sea otters, fish, sea stars, humans, rays, sharks, mollusks, and turtle eat echinoderms.
Mobility
Some echinoderms are sessile, while others move via tube feet. As larvae, they swim.
Reproduction
Echinoderms can reproduce sexually or asexually. If sexually, they use external fertilization. If asexually, they use regeneration.
Development
Echinoderms' life cycle is eggs, larvae, adult.
Examples
Some echinoderms include sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, sea lilies, and feather stars.
Echinoderms are the first animals to have an enclosed body cavity.
Habitat
Echinoderms live in the ocean.
Anatomical/Structural Features
Echinoderms have spines or bumps on their endoskeleton, water vascular systems, tubed feet with suction cups.
Symmetry
Echinoderms have radial symmetry as adults and bilateral symmetry as larvae.
How They Acquire Nutrients
Echinoderms are heterotrophic and can be herbivores, decomposers, and carnivores.
What They Eat
Echinoderms eat other invertebrates (such as bivalves, snails, crustaceans, marine worms, and other echinoderms), fish, dead animals, algae, and corals.
What Eats Them
Sea otters, fish, sea stars, humans, rays, sharks, mollusks, and turtle eat echinoderms.
Mobility
Some echinoderms are sessile, while others move via tube feet. As larvae, they swim.
Reproduction
Echinoderms can reproduce sexually or asexually. If sexually, they use external fertilization. If asexually, they use regeneration.
Development
Echinoderms' life cycle is eggs, larvae, adult.
Examples
Some echinoderms include sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, sea lilies, and feather stars.