top of page

Echinoderms of Zihuatanejo

PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA

​

Phylum Echinodermata is a major group of exclusively marine invertebrate animals that includes sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids. With more than 7,000 living species, echinoderms inhabit virtually every marine environment, from shallow coral reefs and rocky shores to the deepest ocean trenches. They are characterized by a unique water vascular system used for movement, feeding, and respiration, an internal skeleton of calcareous plates, and a body plan that typically exhibits five-part radial symmetry in adults.

bottom of page