Plants, shore birds, ground birds and many fishes are the attractions on Floreana. This island, along with Espanola and San Cristobal make up a group of islands that are rich in endemism. They all hold their own species of mocking bird and lava lizard and the most colorful marine iguanas are also found on them. It is only on these three islands where we find one of the seven genera of flowering plants; Lecocarpus (cutleaf daisies).
Although they are very rich in land organisms, the islands are also rich in marine life. Snorkeling in these waters is completely extraordinary. Due to their location (southeast), they receive cold rich water from the Humboldt Current during eight months of the year. This factor results in a very healthy and varied population of marine organisms.
Today, I have decided to show you one of the most beautiful animals in the ocean: the sea star. This specific species is known as the Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Nidorellia armata). Sea stars are referred as the "Primadonas" of the equinoderms. They are related to the sea urchins, sand dollars, brittle stars and the sea cucumbers. Echinodermata, refers to the prickly skin which most of its members possess. This phylum is very ancient, going back to the Cambrian period, 600 million years ago. They are the group of invertebrates most closely related to vertebrates.
Another peculiarity about them is that they posses a radial symmetry of five radiating parts, which allows them to engage the environment from any direction. They have an internal calcareous skeleton that has living tissue on the surface. This skeleton is sometimes hard, and some other times it is made up of several pieces, in all cases it provides all equinoderms with protection.
