Echinoderms: starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins

Echinoderm means "spiky skin"

I saw three types of starfish:

Red sea stars (Echinaster sepositus) are common, and I see them many times each year. Red sea stars move by folding their tentacles to crawl. They feed on sea urchins and mollusks.

Spiny starfish (Coscinasterias tenuispina). I only saw them once, in 2020 on the rocks in front of the Swedish house on the Croisette.

Comb starfish (Astropecten aranciacus), I think. Only seen once in 2018 with Gerry near La Croisette beach.

Another echinoderm is the Sea Cucumber or Sea Cucumber (Holothuria poli or tubulosa). This rather ugly animal is an echinoderm like starfish. Dark in color with protuberances. They are quite common. I have never seen one move.

Black and purple sea urchins (Arbicia Lixula and Paracentrotus Lividus): the black sea urchin is very common but I have only seen the purple one once