# Eccentric Sand Dollar (*dendraster excentricus*) The Eccentric Sand Dollar has a unique star-shaped pattern on its shell that looks like a beautiful design! Kids love to find these treasures on the beach and learn about the ocean's secrets! - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Sandy ocean floors along the Pacific Coast - **Also known as:** Dendraster, Sea Cookie ![Eccentric Sand Dollar](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eccentric_sand_dollar.jpg&width=800) Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eccentric_sand_dollar.jpg) ## Appearance The Eccentric Sand Dollar is a flattened, disc-shaped echinoderm, typically grey to purple-brown. Its distinctive five-petal flower pattern is located off-center, making it visually unique among other sand dollar species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Echinodermata - **Class:** Echinoidea - **Order:** Echinolampadacea - **Family:** Dendrasteridae - **Genus:** Dendraster ## Interesting facts - A sand dollar's hard skeleton is called a 'test' – like a tiny suit of armor! - Sometimes, their 'flower' pattern looks like a dove when held to the light! - They can gather up to 60,000 tiny grains of sand to help them stay anchored! - They use microscopic hairs called cilia to move collected food towards their mouth! ## Special abilities - **Quick Burrower:** Eccentric Sand Dollar can quickly burrow into the sand using its short spines and tube feet, which helps them hide from predators. - **Food Collector:** Eccentric Sand Dollar has tiny hairs called cilia on its spines that help them collect small food particles from the water column. - **Self-Righting:** Eccentric Sand Dollar can use its spines and tube feet to flip itself over quickly if it gets overturned by ocean currents. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 7.5 cm - **Lifespan:** 10 years - **Average Thickness:** 1 cm ## Diet & Feeding These marine invertebrates filter tiny bits of food from the water and sand to eat. - **Age differences:** null - **Primary Foods:** diatoms, algae, detritus, larval invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Sunflower Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sunflower-sea-star) (*Pycnopodia helianthoides*) — A major predator of adult sand dollars in the Pacific Ocean. - **Eaten by:** [Dungeness Crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dungeness-crab) (*Cancer magister*) — Crabs can crush their hard 'tests' to consume the soft tissue inside. - **Eaten by:** Northern Anchovy (*Engraulis mordax*) — Larval sand dollars are a common food source for small plankton-eating fish. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eccentric Sand Dollar? Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Eccentric Sand Dollar? 7.5 cm ### How long does Eccentric Sand Dollar live? 10 years ### What does Eccentric Sand Dollar eat? These marine invertebrates filter tiny bits of food from the water and sand to eat. ### Where is Eccentric Sand Dollar usually found? Sandy ocean floors along the Pacific Coast ### How does Eccentric Sand Dollar hunt? Filter feeding ### What is the average Thickness of Eccentric Sand Dollar? 1 cm ## Where to spot - [Fort Funston](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-funston) — California, US · Natural Landmark - [Heilman Villas](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heilman-villas) — California, US · Historic District - [Naval Air Station North Island](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naval-air-station-north-island) — California, US · Historic Site - [Peter Roose Homestead](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peter-roose-homestead) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [San Diego Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-diego-botanic-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Self-Realization Fellowship Encinitas Hermitage and Meditation Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/self-realization-fellowship-encinitas-hermitage-and-meditation-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Eccentric Sand Dollar](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eccentric-sand-dollar) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Eccentric Sand Dollar: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eccentric-sand-dollar)