Echinoderms
Examples
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (bottom left), Asterias rubens (bottom middle), Echinarachnius parma (bottom right)
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (bottom left), Asterias rubens (bottom middle), Echinarachnius parma (bottom right)
Evolutionary Milestones
Echinoderms posses five evolutionary milestones: eukaryote, tissues, bilateral symmetry, body cavity, and enclosed body cavity
Habitat
Echinoderms live in all the oceans of the world.
Anatomical/ Structural Features
They have spines or bumps on their endoskeletons and tubed feet with suction cups.
Echinoderms posses five evolutionary milestones: eukaryote, tissues, bilateral symmetry, body cavity, and enclosed body cavity
Habitat
Echinoderms live in all the oceans of the world.
Anatomical/ Structural Features
They have spines or bumps on their endoskeletons and tubed feet with suction cups.
How do they acquire nutrients
Echinoderms are heterotrophic, decomposers and carnivores.
What do they eat
Echinoderms eat mollusks, coral, other invertebrates, algae, and organic materials.
What eats them
Echinoderms are preyed upon by shells, some fish, crabs, shrimps, and by other echinoderms.
Symmetry
They have bilateral symmetry as larvae and radial symmetry as adults .
Mobility
Echinoderms have a variety of movement. Some do not move at all, while other get around by tube feet. Some swim in larval stage.
Reproduction
Some reproduce sexually by external fertilization and some reproduce asexually by regeneration.
Development
Females shed eggs and males shed sperm into the water where fertilization takes place. Then the fertilized egg will develop into a free-swimming larvae with bilateral symmetry. From there they go through a series of changes the result in the larvae turning into an adult with radial symmetry.
Other Information
The type of development echinoderms go through is called deuterostome development. This makes them closely related to vertebrates. Also echinoderms can regenerate lost body parts.
Echinoderms are heterotrophic, decomposers and carnivores.
What do they eat
Echinoderms eat mollusks, coral, other invertebrates, algae, and organic materials.
What eats them
Echinoderms are preyed upon by shells, some fish, crabs, shrimps, and by other echinoderms.
Symmetry
They have bilateral symmetry as larvae and radial symmetry as adults .
Mobility
Echinoderms have a variety of movement. Some do not move at all, while other get around by tube feet. Some swim in larval stage.
Reproduction
Some reproduce sexually by external fertilization and some reproduce asexually by regeneration.
Development
Females shed eggs and males shed sperm into the water where fertilization takes place. Then the fertilized egg will develop into a free-swimming larvae with bilateral symmetry. From there they go through a series of changes the result in the larvae turning into an adult with radial symmetry.
Other Information
The type of development echinoderms go through is called deuterostome development. This makes them closely related to vertebrates. Also echinoderms can regenerate lost body parts.