Western Australian Museum › Explore › Tides & Islands – Day 11 - Echinoderms - Symmetry and Sea Stars

Tides & Islands – Day 11 - Echinoderms - Symmetry and Sea Stars

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The animals seen in these videos are being handled by experts who know how to avoid potential bites and stings. To avoid accidents it is recommended that all marine animals should be watched and not touched. Please enjoy the videos and remember to leave wildlife alone, both for their protection and yours.

These video diaries document the October 2011 field trip into remote areas of the Kimberley. This field trip was part of the Marine Life of Kimberley project to study and understand the marine biodiversity of the area.

Transcription

When most people think of Echnioderms, they might think of the featherstar that you see swimming along there.

But I'd like to introduce you to some other kinds of Echnioderms. There's the sea star that everyone will know quite well, and these are interesting because they illustrate the radial symetery that's common from all Echnioderms.

You can see it very easily there, and if you think of an urchin you can see the radial symetery. But Holothurians, we've got two here, another example of Echnioderms. You wouldn't think they've got too much radial symetery, but if you actually stood on its end, and squashed it flat, it would come out with a pattern not unlike this. So that's one of the first major groups of Echnioderms.

Right here we've got this Holothurian and it's a Synaptid and really cool 'cause it's got certain properties. These guys here are really sticky... Sticks like velcro.

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