Introduced Species

There are many different types of each found at the Marine Discovery Centre. The characteristic which groups these animals together is the internal calcareous skeleton. Most have a body plan based on five or multiples of five, with five arms, five rows of tube feet (small legs with suckers used for movement, food capture, adhesion and respiration), five pairs of gonads etc. They lack a head but have a mouth region, usually on the lower surface. A unique feature of this group is the water vascular system, involving features such as a circular canal, madreporite (external opening) and tube feet. Echinoderms also have the amazing ability of regeneration, capable of regrowing broken off arms. Some species can also grow into new individuals from just an arm that is released (asexual reproduction). A few exceptional species, such as the vulnerable species Patiriella vivipara found locally, bear live young.