ECB-ART-40353
Science
1973 Jul 06;1814094:73-4. doi: 10.1126/science.181.4094.73.
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Sand dollar: a weight belt for the juvenile.
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Juvenile sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) selectively ingest heavy sand grains from the substrate and store them in an intestinal diverticulum which may function as a weight belt, assisting the young animal to remain in the shifting sandy environment. The sand disappears from the diverticulum when the animal reaches the length of 30 millimeters.
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