Sexual dimorphism in the sand dollar Echinarachnius parma

Samples of Echinarachnius parma (Lamarck), collected during summer 1988 from three sites along the eastern coast of Canada (the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Chaleur Bay and the Bay of Fundy), showed sexual dimorphism in the shape of the oral surface in addition to marked changes in the camber of the aboral surface related to the strength of wave and current activity. The oral surface is more concave in males than in females. The dimorphism develops as individuals become sexually mature and is pronounced for individuals measuring >4 cm in diameter. Associated with this shape difference, the volume of females is greater than for males, and this corresponds to the larger size attained by the ovaries compared to the testis. Shape differences between males and females are rare in echinoderms, and E. parma is the first species for which the sexes can be separated with a high degree of accuracy (>80%) on the basis of shape.