There’s much folklore surrounding the small, fragile creatures known as sand dollars, but what is their life like before they wash up on the shore?
Jeff Clements, an aquatic biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says the critter’s coin-like appearance has led to many myths about the marine animal.
“Coins to humans are quite valuable, and so sand dollars are often captured in cultural folklore,” said Clements. “For example, some people believe that dead sand dollars that you find on the beach are the coins lost by mermaids or the people of Atlantis.”
Sand dollars look much different when they’re alive in the water
