Species · GBIF taxon 2279041
Common Sand Dollar
Echinarachnius parmaAlso known as Northern Sand Dollar, New England Sand Dollar
Common sand dollars are flat, disc-shaped sea urchins covered in a dense carpet of tiny, dark purple or brown spines that help them burrow into sandy seafloors. They use specialized tube feet on their upper surface to breathe, revealing a distinctive five-petaled pattern when their skeleton washes ashore. These marine invertebrates play a vital role in bioturbation, constantly turning over and aerating the top layers of coastal sediment.
MarineInvertebrateBurrowing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Diatoms
- Algae
- Organic detritus
Predators
- Flounder
- Haddock
- Sea stars
ThreatsOcean acidification, bottom trawling, and coastal pollution
HabitatsSandy coastal waters, intertidal zones, and shallow subtidal shelves
Life spanUp to 10 to 15 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyEchinarachniidae
- SpeciesEchinarachnius parma
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to handle gently; return live individuals to the water immediately.
Responsible observation
- Check for color: Live sand dollars are reddish-brown or purple and covered in fuzzy spines; do not collect them.
- Handle with care: Their skeletons, or tests, are fragile and break easily under pressure.
- Return to water: If you find a live sand dollar stranded by the tide, gently place it back in the water.
Predator (c) ecovore, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative D. Gordon E. Robertson / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Sharon Mooney (see User:Edwardtbabinski), some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative "Green sea urchin" by lightmatter is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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