Sea Stars, Urchins, and Sea Cucumbers (Echinoderms) get their name from the Latin for Spiny Skinned - Echinodermata. These animals are abundant and easily spotted when diving around Koh Lanta.
All Echinoderms have radial symmetry; a body construction which points outwards from the centre. This normally consists of more than 5 equal segments, each containing a set of various internal organs.
Sea stars, urchins and sea cucumbers also have no heart, eye or blood, the function of the blood is replaced by a Water Vascular System. They also have small tentacles called Tube Feet which have suction pads situated at the extremities creating slow hydraulic controlled movement.
Some Echinoderms are planktonic feeders such as the Feather Stars, where as Sea Stars are carnivorous and even like to dine on other Sea Stars.
Echinoderms are mainly nocturnal feeders as to avoid predators which include the Triton Shell, Trigger Fish and some varieties of Crustaceans (Shrimps and Crabs).
Echinoderms have a wonderful ability to regenerate missing limbs, arms, spines and even intestines. Some Brittle stars and Sea stars can reproduce a-sexually by breaking an arm or even splitting the body in half. Each half then form into a whole new animal.
