Echinoderms Flashcards
How are the phylum echinodermata described?
6,000 spp- all are marine, benthic and mostly large (several cm)
Pentamerous radial symmetry
Internal skeleton of calcareous ossicles often project as spines or tubercles
Mutable coonnective tissue- the ossicles are bound together by extracellular collagenous connective tissue that can be rapidly stiffened and made rigid or softened, in some cases to an almost liquid state
Water vascular system and tube feet
How is the development of the phylum echinodermata described?
Deuterostomes (radial, indeterminate cleavage and enterocoely)
Larvae are bilaterally symmetrical (many have ciliated bands for locomotion and feeding, some feed from yolk or undergo direct development)
Larva settles and metamorphoses into radially symmetrical adult form
What classes exist within the phylum Echioderms?
Asteroidea- starfish, sun stars
Crinoidea- crinoids and featherstars
Ophiuroidea- brittle stars
Echinoidea- sea urchins
Holothuroidea- sea cucumbers
How are the class Ateroidea described?
1,500 spp, global distribution, mainly coastal areas
Most species are pentamerous but some have more than 5 arms
The cushion stars have very short arms so look different from more typical starfish
How are the class Asteroidea structured?
Mouth is on underside- the underside is termed the oral surface and the upper surface is the aboral surface
Ambulacral grooves along oral surface of arms have 2 or 4 rows of tube feet
Ambulacral spines run along the side of the ambulacral grooves
What does the aboral surface of the class Asteroidea contain?
Aboral surface with an inconspicuous anus and a madreporite (part of water vascular system)
Surface may be smooth or there may be various spines, tubercles or ridges
In come species conspicuous marginal plates are arranged along the side of the arms
What is the endoskeleton of the echinoderms structured like?
Endoskeleton is a lattice of rods and plates bound by connective tissue- this can be stiffened or softened as required
Each ossicle is formed from a single crystal of magnesium rich calcite
What can the surface of the class Asteroidea contain?
Surface structure may include various projecting spines or tubercles
Paxillae- present in some groups of asteroids- raised ossicle with moveable spines on the surface
Adaptation to burrowing existence- respiratory or feeding currents can flow in space below paxillae
What is the Pedicellaria?
Present in some groups of asteroids and in some other echinoderms
Small jaw-like appendages on surface- function in protection from small animals or settling larvae
How does the water vascular system work in the Asteroidea?
System consists of a network of internal ciliated canals linked to tube feet
Tube feet (podia) are muscular and can bend in different directions- they typically have a sucker at the tip
What does the madreporite serve as in the asteroidea?
Madreporite serves as an intake of seawater to replenish leakage at the tube feet
The ampullae are muscular- contract, valve closes to isolate from rest of the system and tube foot extends
Adhesion of tube foot to substrate is mainly chemical- comparable to a duo gland system
How do the asteroidea feed?
Mostly scavengers and carnivores- many can evert the stomach to engulf a food item
Some sediment dwellers can burrow down to prey
Some can catch small fish and invertebrates with specialised groups of pedicallaria
Some are suspension feeders- particles trapped by mucus on body surface and transported to mouth by epidermal cilia
What do the asteroidea feed on?
Many feed on bivalves- connective tissue stiffens and the starfish skeleton becomes a rigid scaffold enabling them to use the hydraulic force of the tube feet to pull open the valves of bivalve prey enough to insert eversible stomach and begin digestion
How are the class Ophiuroidea described?
2,000 spp, most environments from shallow water to deep sea
Similar body shape to asteroids but arms are more sharply separated from central disc and have a more solid structure (appear segmented)
No ambulacral groove and tube feet have limited importance for locomotion
Madreporite on oral surface
How do the class Ophiuroidea move?
Highly mobile- push and pull with arms- lateral spines on arms grip substrate
How do the class Ophiuroidea feed?
Carnivores, scavengers, deposit feeders or filter feeders- species are generally not restricted to a single feeding mode
What are some examples of filter feeding in Ophiuroidea?
Ophiothrix- tube feet form comb-like filters off the sides of the arms
Ophiocomina- mucus suspended between the lateral arm spines trap particles, tube feet collect the mucus as a bolus and transfer via adjacent tube feet towards mouth
How may the tube feet be important in feeding in the class Ophiuroidea?
Tube feet may collect food particles directly from the substrate and pass towards mouth
Larger food items may be swept towards mouth by the arms- most carnivorous feeding by this mechanism
Basket stars filter by seizing plankton with tips of their finely divided arms
Where do the Ophiuroidea reside?
Many live in crevices of one sort or another
In fast current areas may be epibenthic and very abundant
Some burrow in sediment and only the arms project into the water to feed
How are the class Echinoidea described?
950 spp
No arms- body circular or oval
Skeletal ossicles interlinked to form a solid test
Surface covered by movable spines
Regular echinoids (sea urchins) are epibenthic and irregular echinoids (heart urchins and sand dollars) are infaunal
What is the structure of the regular echinoids?
Globose test and long spines
Ambulacral areas with tube feet are arranged in meridians around the test and alternate with interambulacral areas
One of the plates near the anus is modifed as the madreporite
How do the spines look on the regular echinoids?
Spines articulate on a ball and socket joint
Function in protection and used for wedging into crevices
Movement is facilitated by movement both of the spines and the tube feet
How do the regular echinoids feed?
Most are grazers
The mouth has a structure called Aristotle’s latern- 5 radially arranged jaws for scraping food from the substrate
Adapted for burrowing- mostly deposit feeders- tube feet used for food collection and transport
Aboral tube feet function in gas exchange
How are the irregular echinoids structured?
Test densely covered in small fine spines- function in burrowing and in protection of body from abrasion from sediment
Heart urchins are more globose in shape and sand dollars are flattened for shallow burrowing
