• Animals Kingdom (Animalia)

• Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata)

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Phylum Echinodermata is a diverse group of exclusively marine invertebrates that includes sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids. Found in oceans from shallow coastal waters to the deepest ocean trenches, echinoderms are characterized by a unique internal skeleton composed of calcareous plates, a water vascular system used for movement and feeding, and typically a five-part radial symmetry in adults. Despite their often simple appearance, they possess complex biological systems and remarkable regenerative abilities, with many species capable of regrowing lost arms or other body parts. Echinoderms play vital ecological roles as predators, grazers, scavengers, suspension feeders, and sediment processors.