Sand Dollars are one of the most sought after finds on the beach. They are found on beaches all over the world and when found here on Bolivar Peninsula, they are highly treasured. I get so excited when I find a sand dollar!
Sand dollars are Echinoideas, and are related to sea urchins and sea stars. They are bottom feeders that eat microscopic algae and bacteria on the ocean’s floor.
Sand Dollars on Bolivar Peninsula
Most people associate sand dollars with summer time, beachcombing, walking the shorelines searching for treasures, but sand dollar season in my area is in January-February, although you can find them year round. Local beach combers on Bolivar Peninsula find them at the water’s edge and in the shell wracks left by high tides.
Sand dollars that you find in the sand are actually white, sunbleached skeletons.The sand dollar skeleton we find is the hard shell that is left after the sand dollar dies and dries out. The living ones look very different from this. They are shades of brown or purple in color and are covered in hairlike cilia. These cilia push food from the ocean floor into thier mouths that are underneath the bottom.
Dead or Alive?
How do you tell if a sand dollar is dead or alive? If you find a sand dollar on the beach its probably dead, and is safe to add to your collection, but if its purple or dark colored and hairy, it may still be alive. Gently put it back in to the water because they can only live minutes out of the water.
Local predators for sand dollars are flounder , crabs, seagulls, and sheepshead.
Facts About Sand Dollars
- Most sand dollars live 6-10 years and measure 2-4 inches.
- You can tell a sand dollar’s age by looking at the rings on the bottom of its shell, much like the rings on a tree
- Young sand dollars are too light weight to anchor themselves against the turbulence of the waves, so they eat sand to add weight.
- The flower design on the top is actually pores that the sand dollar pushes water through, propelling the sand dollar through the water.
- When the waters are calm sand dollars sometimes stand with one side buried in the sand. They lay flat when the waters are rough.
- Sand dollars live in groups, as many as 600 in a square yard because of the nature of how they reproduce. They practice “broadcast” spawning, meaning both sexes release eggs and sperm into the water.
Cleaning and Preserving
Sand dollars are fragile, and great care must be taken when cleaning them. You can soak them in water with mild dish soap, changing the water every few hours until the water becomes clear.
You can also clean and whiten them with a mix of bleach and water, (1 part bleach to 3 parts water). You must only dip the sand dollars in the solution for a few minutes because the bleach will dissolve the sand dollars.
To preserve your sand dollars you can paint them with Mod Podge clear sealer, or a mixture of water and Elmers glue, (equal parts). Place sand dollars on wax paper and paint. Turn when dry and paint the other side. Paint thin coats and dry thoroughly before turning.
When completely dry they are ready to add to your collection displays and craft projects.
I hope you enjoy your sand dollars as much as I enjoy mine!
To see posts about some of my shell crafts click here
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