Sand Dollar

A  sand dollar is an invertebrate marine animal that is of the order or group called Clypeastroida that has a flat round shaped body. It is a type of cake urchin in between a sea urchin and a heart urchin.

Sand dollars are very good at digging in sandy soil.They have very small spines covering their whole body, which they use for digging and crawling.These tiny spines lay down flat along the body of the sand dollar toward the rear of the animal.

The sand dollar's mouth is located in the center of the body underneath the animal. On the top surface of the sand dollar there is a pattern of 5 or 6 slots called lanules that go through the outer skeleton.

Most sand dollars are from 2 to 4 inches wide and can be found in the shallow coastal waters throughout the world except in Europe and Antarctica.