Don't Know if this belongs here but there is an interesting tag on this vid in youtube: ECHINODERM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinoderm
Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata, from the Greek for spiny skin) are a phylum of marine animals found at all depths. This phylum appeared in the early Cambrian Period and contains about 7,000 living species and 13,000 extinct ones. Five or six classes (six counting Concentricycloidea) are alive today:
Asteroidea (asteroids, starfish, or sea stars): about 1,500 species that capture prey for their own food.
Concentricycloidea (sea daisies), notable for their unique water vascular system; two species; recently merged into Asteroidea.
Crinoidea (crinoids, feather stars or sea lilies): about 600 species that are suspension feeders.
Echinoidea (echinoids, sea urchins and sand dollars): notable for their movable spines; about 1,000 species.
Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers): elongated animals resembling slugs; about 1,000 species.
Ophiuroidea (brittle stars and basket stars), the physically largest of echinoderms; about 1,500 species.
Extinct forms known from fossils include blastoids, edrioasteroids, and several early Cambrian animals such as Helicoplacus, carpoids, Homalozoa, and possibly machaerids.
Echinodermata is the largest animal phylum to lack any freshwater or terrestrial representatives.
Wonder if any have any medicinal purposes???
Edit:
Did some searching and came up with this:
http://www.scu.edu.au/news/media.php?it ... tem&type=M
Extract from article:
"Fucoidans are polysaccharides and naturally occurring components of certain edible seaweeds and echinoderms. They have been part of the human diet for centuries and in countries such as Japan and Korea, are prized for their dietary and medicinal properties,” Mr Falk said.
“The term fucoidan describes a diverse family of molecules rather than a single chemical compound. Each type of brown marine algae or echinoderm yields a specific fucoidan, and each fucoidan varies in its clinical benefit.
“Our primary interest in fucoidans stems from their ability to act as immunomodulators, selectin antagonists, viral attachment inhibitors, enzyme inhibitors and receptor blockers. Fucoidans and their derivatives demonstrate considerable anti-viral, anti-coagulant and cholesterol lowering activity."