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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
N. Gökoğlu, Shellfish Processing and Preservation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60303-8_4
Chapter 4
Echinoderms
4.1 Introduction
Echinoderms are defined as literally spiny skinned animals. These are exclusively
marine animals. They are the best-known group of marine invertebrates due to their
frequent occurrence in coastal regions, their interesting shapes and volumes, and
their macroscopic size. This group includes feather stars, sea stars, brittle stars, sea
urchins, and sea cucumbers. The term echinoderm which means spiny skin refers to
an endoskeleton composed of hard calcium-rich plates just beneath the delicate skin.
The name Echinoderm is a Greek word and means spiny skin. The spiny skins
are benthic organisms with a few exceptions and can be seen at all depths from the
shore. These marine invertebrates have two different sexes, and their reproduction is
outside the egg and sperm released into the sea water. It is realized by fertilization.
During the life cycle of these creatures, they transform from embryos with bilateral
symmetry to planktonic larvae (Zito et al. 2005).
Except for a few species which inhabit brackish waters, all echinoderms are benthic organisms found in marine environments. Echinoderms inhabit depths ranging
from shallow waters at tide lines to the deep sea (Mulcrone 2005).
Echinoderm species are abundant both in coral reef communities as in the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas around the world. Echinodermata members usually
prefer muddy and sandy regions, spaces of stone and algae in shallow waters, areas
where Posidonia is dense (Belbachir and Mezali 2018), under stones, hard and
rocky sheltered areas, and grounds with alga (Hermosillo-Nunez et al. 2015).
Echinoderms are one of the macrobenthic animals associated with seagrass.
Echinoderms play an important role in the ecology of the marine ecosystem, they
are primary consumers in the food chain cycle in these ecosystems, and echinoderms can act as a beach cleaner for marine organisms that consume organic materials that enter the water (Uneputty et al. 2017).
In 2016, the total production of echinoderms in the world was reported as about
105 thousand tons by capture and 217 thousand tons by aquaculture (FAO 2016).
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
N. Gökoğlu, Shellfish Processing and Preservation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60303-8_4
Chapter 4
Echinoderms
4.1 Introduction
Echinoderms are defined as literally spiny skinned animals. These are exclusively
marine animals. They are the best-known group of marine invertebrates due to their
frequent occurrence in coastal regions, their interesting shapes and volumes, and
their macroscopic size. This group includes feather stars, sea stars, brittle stars, sea
urchins, and sea cucumbers. The term echinoderm which means spiny skin refers to
an endoskeleton composed of hard calcium-rich plates just beneath the delicate skin.
The name Echinoderm is a Greek word and means spiny skin. The spiny skins
are benthic organisms with a few exceptions and can be seen at all depths from the
shore. These marine invertebrates have two different sexes, and their reproduction is
outside the egg and sperm released into the sea water. It is realized by fertilization.
During the life cycle of these creatures, they transform from embryos with bilateral
symmetry to planktonic larvae (Zito et al. 2005).
Except for a few species which inhabit brackish waters, all echinoderms are benthic organisms found in marine environments. Echinoderms inhabit depths ranging
from shallow waters at tide lines to the deep sea (Mulcrone 2005).
Echinoderm species are abundant both in coral reef communities as in the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas around the world. Echinodermata members usually
prefer muddy and sandy regions, spaces of stone and algae in shallow waters, areas
where Posidonia is dense (Belbachir and Mezali 2018), under stones, hard and
rocky sheltered areas, and grounds with alga (Hermosillo-Nunez et al. 2015).
Echinoderms are one of the macrobenthic animals associated with seagrass.
Echinoderms play an important role in the ecology of the marine ecosystem, they
are primary consumers in the food chain cycle in these ecosystems, and echinoderms can act as a beach cleaner for marine organisms that consume organic materials that enter the water (Uneputty et al. 2017).
In 2016, the total production of echinoderms in the world was reported as about
105 thousand tons by capture and 217 thousand tons by aquaculture (FAO 2016).