Echinoderms

ocean animals · five-pointed symmetry · sea creatures · marine biology

Five-pointed stars. Most echinoderms have five arms or sections arranged in a perfect star pattern, which helps them move and find food on the sea floor.

Ocean floor dwellers. Echinoderms live everywhere in the ocean, from the shallow water near beaches all the way down to the deepest, darkest parts of the sea.

Spiky or bumpy skin. The name echinoderm means 'spiny skin,' and many of these animals like sea urchins are covered with spikes for protection.

Shape-shifting larvae. Baby echinoderms look completely different from their parents, starting out with normal left-right body symmetry before growing into their famous five-pointed adult shape.

Ancient sea creatures. Echinoderms have been around since near the beginning of the Cambrian period over 500 million years ago, making them some of the ocean's oldest animal groups.