gringorio - 2-5-2005 at 01:11 PM
I used to think that sand dollars grew to a fairly large size until we came across these little sand dollars (already dead).
These look like Mellita longifissa, the slit sand dollar.
Class: Echinoidea
Genus: Mellita
Species: longifissa
Sand dollars are detritivores and are found in shallow sub and intertidal areas. This species grows to between 2 and 4 cm in diamter and up to seven
cm.
[Edited on 2-5-2005 by gringorio]
[Edited on 2-6-2005 by gringorio]
Hey Gringorio, Look like treasures to me.
Eli - 2-6-2005 at 09:51 AM
If I could get my hands on some of these, I forsure know what I would do with them; I would stash them in my treasure basket and someday, I would find
just the right collage to stick them in. Way fun, thanks for the idea, yep, who knows, maybe someday, I will get my hands on some..........and you'll
see what treasures can be.
Natalie Ann - 2-6-2005 at 01:40 PM
On the beach in front of Alfonsina's I once found several of these same small sand dollars - except the ones I found were completely covered in short
black hairs so think I could not see the white of the sand dollar. Even after totally dry, the black hairs stayed attached for many months. Then one
day I looked at my altar and noticed that each one had shed its little hairs... all had become perfectly clean white little shells.