• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2002

Sand dollar, Astriclypeus manni (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) is widely distributed on subtidal sand flats all along the coast of Cheju Island. Limited information has been reported on their ecology despite their abundance. This study reports gut contents, density and locomotion of the sand dollars distributed on a subtidal sand flat on the north-east coast of Cheju Island. Microscopic examination of the gut contents indicated that A. manni feeds on inorganic and organic detritus as well as live organisms contained in the sediments. Inorganic particles included sand grains, sponge spicules and shells of benthic animals such as foraminifera, crustacean and molluscs. Mean diameter of sediment particles retained in the gut was $77.6\pm{22.2}\mu{m}$. Live organisms retained in the gut included foraminifera, harpacticoid copepods, nematodes, diatoms and unidentified egg. Spatial distribution pattern of the sand dollar was found to be random with a mean density of 0.4 individual $m^{-2}(\chi^2=85.16,\;p>0.05)$. Locomotion speed of the sand dollar measured in situ was 2.0 to 65.0 cm $hr^{-1}$. Locomotion speed and moving distance was somewhat higher in summer when food availability also higher.