Echinoderms Flashcards
(29 cards)
Define Echinoderm
Animals with rough, spiny skin
What are examples of echinoderms?
Sea stars, Brittle stars and Sea cucumbers
what is a water vascular system?
a series of water-filled canals that eventually lead to the outside world and end in a feeding tube
Define tube feet
tiny suction cups
How do sea stars get food?
they see their food (usually clams) walks over and attaches to it and pry it open then sends out their stomach releases enzymes and starts to eat and digest the food
Where do sea cucumbers live?
in the ocean
What do sea cucumbers look like?
they look like regular cucumbers, that are soft, flexible and muscular.
how do sea cucumbers move?
they use tube feet on their underside to help them crawl slowly
what type of symmetry do sea cucumbers have?
radial symmetry
what type of skeleton do sea cucumbers have?
endoskeletons
how do sea cucumbers eat?
they use the tentacles surrounding their mouth to sweep the food towards them and into their mouth
how do sea cucumbers get oxygen?
they take water into their anus, separate the water and oxygen then drains the water
how do sea cucumbers reproduce?
they gather in a large are and release the egg and sperm at the same time
what makes a brittle star different from a sea star?
they have brittle arms that are long and slender with flexible joints
how do brittle stars feed?
they use their tube feet to feed
how do brittle stars move?
They slither
What are brittle star sexes?
they have the basic male and female sexes
how do brittle stars reproduce?
they reproduce in water when the eggs are released by one brittle star, then the other releases sperm and fertilizes it
what are the stages of a brittle stars life?
larvae, then goes through metamorphosis to adult
what type of feeders are brittle stars and what do they feed off of?
they are scavengers that feed off of dead and decaying animals
how many brittle star species are there?
2,000 different species
what are sea urchins?
they are spherical organisms with spikes extending out of the body
where do you find sea urchins?
rocky shores, coral reefs and sandy beaches
how are sea urchins made up?
they have 5 plates, and spikes work as ball and socket joints.
