What is this?

[Camelot]

But "biltong", have you ever seen sand dollars approximately as thik as it is whide?

Gunnar

[Bergovoy]

they are in the sand dollar/sea urchin family...

same geneology just a left turn at the family branch.

they usually have smaller slightly sharp spines...

the star shaped in thier skeleton is the give away.... they would ahve grown up to be brittle starfish but instead grew up without 'legs'.. thier legs are actully on the bottom and small tentacles that help them move around...

they graze on algea and dead stuff...

[atoll]

still not getting the picture

[Camelot]

Thanks, Bergovoy! It seems to be in the right direction. I will find some alive and compare them to the skeletons.

Gunnar

[Bergovoy]

if you are getting a red X try right clicking on the picture and looking at properties or other info to try to find the address and just copy and past the address to the address bar of your browser

[callmecrazy]

It could be a Heart Urchin, which have been known to die is mass quantities.

[Camelot]

Callmecrazy, you found it!!! This is the animal - heart urchin is the right answer. Thank you!!!

Gunnar

[barnakiel]

Look like sea urchin skeletons to me. Never seen these but seen very similar ones elsewhere.

Any link to a read up on these?

barnie

[Khagan1227]

All of this researching you guys did made me thirsty, I think I'll pop open a tinny and drink me a cold beer.

Cheers m8s.

[Hudson Force]

The Phylum is echinodermata which includes the sea stars, urchins and sand dollars. I haven't heard the term Heart Urchin, but we are accustomed to calling these Sea Biscuits. When alive they have a thick coating of spines very much like the urchins.

[biltong]

Google Image Result for http://www.denisbrand.com/new-images/new-sea_urchin.jpg

Here are a whole bunch of different but related echinoderms

[Bergovoy]

last time I watched LOST, it looked like urchin was good eating...

although i would have to be LOST to eat one...

[joey69]

I have seen those wash up on shore in Florida,on the gulf coast.I was told they were a type of sand dollar.Some of them are as big as grapefruit.They sell them in a lot of the tourist shops.

[tager]

Let me google that for you was really misused in this thread, somebody had to say it.