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echinoids
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| Phylum Echinodermata > Class Echinodea > Order Clypeasteroida |
| Cake
sand dollar Arachnoides placenta Family Clypeasteridae updated Feb 09 Where seen? This rather featureless disk-shaped animal is commonly seen on some of our Northern shores, on sand bars and sandy areas near seagrasses. Often found in groups of large numbers of individuals, half buried in the sand. Sometimes also seen on the Southern shores. Features: Body diameter 2-8cm. Seen in various sizes, some may be tiny (about the size of a 10cent coin). It has no slots in the body. While the star-shaped petalloid is not very obvious in living specimens, they are clearly seen in the test of a dead sand dollar. The colours of a living sand dollar may range from deep reddish-purple, to brownish-purple or beige. |
 Changi, May 08 |
 Underside. |
 Mouth on the underside. |
 Upperside. |
Cake sand dollars on Singapore shores
 Changi, Jun 06 |
 Upperside of test. |
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 Underside of test |
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 Living sand dollars buried just beneath the sand Chek Jawa, Dec 01 |
 They are sometimes found in huge numbers. Chek Jawa, Jan 09 |
 Sometimes, sand dollars are tiny! Tanah Merah, Apr 05 |
 Lazarus Island, Jun 09 |
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 Chek Jawa, Feb 10  Several seen with holes on the underside. |
 Tanah Merah, Mar 10  With a hole. Recovering from a wound? |
more photos of cake sand dollars on Singapore shores
northern shores part 1 | part 2 | part 3
southern shores part 4 | part 5
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