We were surprised to find out what’s inside. When sand dollars are living, they have a skin of moveable spines covering the entire test. According to some legends and poems, the sand dollar represents the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When a sand dollar dies and decays, its skeleton often washes up onto the ocean shore, especially if there's been a storm the night before. For the first time in my 48+ years, I found a whole sand dollar on the beach! I found the answer easily, but I can't find out what the five dove-shaped shells inside it are. It has a fascinating petal pattern on it, which are made by five sets of pores on the upper surface. Patrick Markizon, dives into an investigation and discovers what is really inside of a sand dollar. May be when you collect a dead sand dollar from beach it has sand encrusted on their hard shell. We BROKE OPEN a Sand Dollar!! Movement of the spines allows the sand dollar to crawl along the seabed floor. For the first time in my 48+ years, I found a whole sand dollar on the beach! What are Sand Dollars? Although washed up sand dollar skeletons have been bleached white by the sun, living sand dollars are actually a purplish-brown color. Related Questions. Covering the skeleton is a skin of velvety-textured spines covered in tiny hairs called cilia. Asked in Sand Dollars What was a sand dollar called before it was named a sand dollar? A sand dollar is a marine animal named after its flattish, round shape that resembles a large coin. Sand dollars are given spiritual meaning by some Christians. Although washed up sand dollar skeletons have been bleached white by the sun, living sand dollars are actually a purplish-brown color. These pores are used to move sea water into its internal water-vascular system, which is what allows the creature to move. Then I wondered, what's a sand dollar anyway? The "doves" found inside the sand dollar are actually 5 jaws that crush the food they consume. The Sand Dollar is actually the skeleton of a small marine creature, related to the starfish, the sea cucumber, the sea urchin and the sea lily. Wiki User December 22, 2016 7:28PM. A sand dollar extrudes these mouthparts to scrape and chew algae from rocks and other surfaces to eat, then retracts them back into its body. The dried-up bits that you hear when you shake the test are most likely remnants of the jaws. We BROKE OPEN a Sand Dollar!! These are actually pores which sea water moves in and out of, allowing it to move. We were surprised to find out what’s inside. Inside is teeth and if you brake it open you see all the teeth fall out. Watch our video from the trip here: We post a new video EVERY WEEK, so, if you liked this vid… Could only take so many back home with me, accidentally broke one on the beach when I was collecting them and wondered how many sand dollars had parasites in them, and what attributes the sand dollars with parasites had that distinguished them from other sand dollars to ensure that I would only be taking back sand dollars without parasites for display. What are Sand Dollars? Watch our video from the trip here: We post a new video EVERY WEEK, so, if you liked this vid… We BROKE OPEN a Sand Dollar!! What is inside a live sand dollar? What are Sand Dollars? Like its close relative the sea urchin, the sand dollar has a set of five pores arranged in a petal-like pattern. Movement of the spines allows the sand dollar to crawl along the seabed floor. Covering the skeleton is a skin of velvety-textured spines covered in tiny hairs called cilia. According to some legends and poems, the sand dollar represents the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To find a sand dollar's skeleton, walk along the beach at low tide, paying close attention to the area just below the high-tide line. This type of animal belongs to a class of animals known as Echinoids and are close relatives of the sea urchin and starfish . Sand is not found in the sand dollar. I found the answer easily, but I can't find out what the five dove-shaped shells inside it are. Watch our video from the trip here: We post a new video EVERY WEEK, so, if you liked this video and want more like this then SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT on what you want to see next! Then I wondered, what's a sand dollar anyway? We were surprised to find out what’s inside.