Biology Of Echinodermata

The present title Biology of Echinodermata has been carefully compilated on the basis of all recent researches and investigation made on Echinoderms. It is intended for undergraduate and postgraduate students of all universities. The text material has been written in a very easy, clear, lucid and straight forward manner to make a clear and vivid understanding. All important types have been dealt with complete, authentic and up-to-date account including morphology anatomy, physiology and development of selected types. Efforts have been made to condense the matter as far as practicable. It is hoped that the Biology of Echinodermata will not only meet the requirement of Indian students but will also be useful as a guideline to the teachers and researchers. Contents: Introduction, Asterias, Echinoidea, Holothuroidea, Ophiuroidea, Crinoidea, Influence of Environment, Development of Larva, Water-vascular System in Echinodermata.

The proceedings of the Seventh International Echinoderm Conference, held at Atami, Japan, September 1990. In addition to sections covering ecology, evolution, reproduction, morphology, molecular biology, developmental biology, physiology, behavior, and paleontology, there are four plenary lectures a

Members of the phylum Echinodermata are among the most familiar marine invertebrates. Forms such as the sea star have become virtually a symbol of sea life. Used in ancient oriental medicine as a source of bioactive compounds, sea cucumbers, sea stars and sea urchins are now used for the extraction and purification of cytotoxic, haemolytic, antiviral, antifungal, antifouling, antimicrobial and even anti-tumoural activities. In addition, of the five extant classes, sea urchins and sea cucumbers are important economic resources for current fishery and aquaculture. Molecular and cell biological techniques described in this book are, on the one hand, indicative of the improvements made over the years and, on the other, stress the need of their further exploitation for the sustainable production of bioactive compounds and their application in biomedicine.

This book is a compilation of proceedings that contain abstracts of all papers/posters presented at the International Echinoderm Conference held in 1984 and complete papers from those submitted for publication and accepted on the recommendations of referees.

Echinoderms play an important ecological role in marine communities, especially in relation to food chains, occupying diverse trophic levels such as herbivores, carnivores, detritivores and omnivores in the marine environment. These animals feed on many different kinds of food but the majority eat only small particles of edible matter suspended in the water or lying as detritus on the sea bottom. Although echinoderms occur at all depths from the intertidal to the abyssal zones and are present throughout all of the world's oceans, their distribution is limited by the composition and topography of the sea-bed, by temperature and pressure differences according to locality and depth, and by salinity and food supply. This book discusses echinoderms and their habitual environments as well as their reproductive biology and the ecology in which they form their habitats.

Echinoderms are now considered as a biological and geological model that underlies researches of primary importance. The extent of the contributions made by the International Echinoderm Conferences to various fields of research is attested by the scope covered by presentation at the international conferences. These proceedings contain the complete papers or abstracts of all the presentations and posters presented at the eighth International Echinoderm Conference, held in Dijon, France in September, 1994. Coverage includes: general; extinct classes; crinoids; asteroids; ophiuroids; holothuroids; and echinoids.

Echinoderms, including feather stars, seastars, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, are some of the most beautiful and interesting animals in the sea. They play an important ecological role and several species of sea urchins and sea cucumbers form the basis of important fisheries. Over 1000 species live in Australian waters, from the shoreline to the depths of the abyssal plain and the tropics to Antarctic waters. Australian Echinoderms is an authoritative account of Australia’s 110 families of echinoderms. It brings together in a single volume comprehensive information on the identification, biology, evolution, ecology and management of these animals for the first time. Richly illustrated with beautiful photographs and written in an accessible style, Australian Echinoderms suits the needs of marine enthusiasts, academics and fisheries managers both in Australia and other geographical areas where echinoderms are studied.

Physiology of Echinoderms is an 11-chapter book that begins by elucidating the feeding, digestion, and excretion of specific echinoderms. The critical role of amoebocytes in the excretion process involved in these organisms is also explained. This book also describes several aspects of importance to these organisms, including salinity tolerance, osmoregulation, ionic regulation, chemical composition, neural control of locomotion, biochemical affinities, toxins, and immunology. The organisms' physiology in sensory, water vascular system, respiratory system, spawning, neurosecretion, nerves, and muscles are also explained.