Posts Tagged With: environment

WE ARE FANIMALY!

We have a new fanimaly to share with you today! We have two animals that can be found in the intertidal zone that are related! Come learn about sea stars and sand dollars!

• Sand dollars are animals! They are members of the enchinoderm family.
• They are invertebrates.
• Sand dollars are covered in tiny purple spines.
• Those spines help them move and they use them as gills.
• They have a five pointed shape.
• Sand dollars have five teeth like projections that they use to chew their food.
• Sand dollars can live up to 6 to 10 years.

• Sea stars are also echinoderms.
• Sea stars are carnivores like sand dollars.
• They have no blood or brains.
• Most sea stars have 5 arms, but some can have as many as 40.
• Sea stars have tiny little feet that they use to move and to pry apart prey like muscles.
• Sea stars push their stomach outside their body to envelope their prey and digest it.
• They can regenerate limbs.

These are just a few fun facts about these two animal relatives. Sea stars and sand dollars are both super cool! Which one do you like best?

A Hare of a Different Kind!

• California sea hares can be found in intertidal zones from California to Northern Mexico.
• They can grow up to 30 inches long and weigh up to 15 lbs, but on average they are about 15 inches long.
• California sea hares are herbivores. They eat kelp and red algae.
• Sea hares are members of the sea slug family.

• California sea hares are very toxic. That toxicity comes from the algae they eat.
• When threatened, they can release either a pink ink or white milky ink. The pink ink smells like cedar.
• California sea hares are nocturnal.
• One of its known predators are the giant green anemone!
• Sea hares have one foot on their underside they use to move!
• Sea hares have the largest neurons of any animal on the planet.

Sea hares are amazing creatures! They better stay away from our friends the giant green anemone. Scientists have studied these slugs for many years because of their simple but amazing neurological system.

It’s Easy Being Green!

We’re off to meet an anemone today, not a frog! These brightly colored animals are found in the intertidal zones off the coast of California! Woohoo! Let’s meet them!

Giant Green Anemone Fun Facts:

• Giant green anemones can be found along the coast of the Pacific ocean from Canada to Central America.
• They can grow up to 7 inches in diameter and 17 inches high.
• Giant green anemones are carnivores and eat muscles, crabs and small fish.
• Anemones are invertebrates.

• They have stinging cells in their tentacles, called nematocysts. Namatocysts sting and paralyzed prey.
• A giant green anemone can up to six rows of tentacles.
• Giant green anemones have a symbiotic relationship with a type of algae called zooxanthellae. The algae gets protection and the anemone gets some nutrition from the algae.
• The anemones green color does not come from the zooxanthellae.
• Giant green anemones spit out waste through their mouths.
• If you ever meet a giant green anemone, their stinging cells can’t hurt human hands, but you can hurt them, so best not to touch.

Tide pools and intertidal zones are amazing places. They are special spots to visit when you are at the coast. You can find so many interesting creatures living there. We’re excited for Professor Sylvia to show us more of these great habitats tomorrow!