Sand Dollars

Sand dollars are round, flat sea creatures that live in the ocean. They get their name because their shape looks like an old silver dollar coin. When they are alive, they are brown or purple and covered in tiny spines. You can often find their white skeletons washed up on the beach.

Life in the Sand

Sand dollars live on sandy ocean floors. They use their tiny spines to slowly move and dig into the sand. They eat little bits of food they find in the sand. A sand dollar belongs to the same family as sea stars and sea urchins. They can live for about 10 years.

The Flower Pattern

If you look at a sand dollar closely, you will see a pattern that looks like a five-petaled flower on top. This pattern is made of tiny holes that let water move through the animal's body. When a sand dollar dies, its spines fall off and its skeleton turns white. Then it might wash up on the shore. Many people collect them as souvenirs.

Fun Facts

• Live sand dollars are fuzzy and move, but dead ones are smooth and still.
• Baby sand dollars can clone themselves to hide from predators.
• Their skeletons are called tests by scientists.

Did You Know?

You should leave live sand dollars in the water because taking them out of the ocean can hurt them.