title: Sand dollar: a weight belt for the juvenile.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Chia