Common Sand Dollar

Also known as Northern Sand Dollar

Common sand dollars carpet sandy benthic substrates across temperate and subarctic coastlines, shallowly burrowing beneath loose sediment using thousands of tiny, coordinated spines. Dense fields of microscopic cilia guide captured detritus, diatoms, and tiny plankton along specialized branching grooves into a central mouth on the underside. In strong surf or tidal currents, juveniles often swallow mineral sand grains to serve as internal ballast and anchor themselves in the seafloor.