Editing Echinoderm (section)

==Use by humans==

=== As food and medicine ===
[[File:Sea urchin eggs.jpg|thumb|Sea urchin being cut open to eat its eggs]]
[[File:Yokohama Chinese Medicine Sea cucumber 2.jpg|thumb|Sea cucumbers as [[traditional Chinese medicine]]]]

In 2019, 129,052 tonnes of echinoderms were harvested. The majority of these were sea cucumbers (59,262 tonnes) and sea urchins (66,341 tonnes).<ref>{{harvnb|FAO|loc=B-76}}</ref> These are used mainly for food, but also in [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref name="PangestutiArifin2018">{{harvnb|Pangestuti|Arifin|2018}}<!--Note: No WP:MEDRS claims are made in this Wikipedia article--></ref> Sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in some countries of southeast Asia; as such, they are in imminent danger of being over-harvested.<ref>{{harvnb|NYTimes|2009}}</ref> Popular species include the pineapple roller ''[[Thelenota ananas]]'' (''susuhan'') and the red sea cucumber ''[[Holothuria edulis]]''. These and other species are colloquially known as ''bêche de mer'' or ''trepang'' in [[China]] and [[Indonesia]]. The sea cucumbers are boiled for twenty minutes and then dried both naturally and later over a fire which gives them a smoky tang. In China, they are used as a basis for gelatinous soups and stews.<ref>[[Wikisource:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Bêche-de-Mer]]</ref> Both male and female gonads of sea urchins are consumed, particularly in [[Japan]] and [[France]]. The taste is described as soft and melting, like a mixture of seafood and fruit.<ref>{{harvnb|Lawrence|2001}}</ref><ref name="Davidson 2014">{{harvnb|Davidson|2014|p=730}}</ref> Sea urchin breeding trials have been undertaken to try to compensate for [[overexploitation]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sartori|Scuderi|Sansone|Gaion|2015}}</ref>

=== In research ===

Because of their robust larval growth, sea urchins are widely used in research, particularly as [[model organism]]s in [[developmental biology]] and ecotoxicology.<ref name="Insight from the Sea Urchin">{{harvnb|Exploratorium}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sartori|Gaion|2015}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Gaion|Scuderi|Pellegrini|Sartori|2013}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hart|2002}}</ref> ''[[Strongylocentrotus purpuratus]]'' and ''[[Arbacia punctulata]]'' are used for this purpose in embryological studies.<ref>{{harvnb|Longo|Anderson|1969}}</ref> The large size and the transparency of the eggs enables the observation of [[sperm]] cells in the process of fertilising [[ovum|ova]].<ref name="Insight from the Sea Urchin"/> The arm regeneration potential of brittle stars is being studied in connection with understanding and treating [[Neurodegeneration|neurodegenerative]] diseases in humans.<ref name=Barkhouse/> [[Genomics|Genomic]] data relevant to echinoderm model organisms are collected in [[Echinobase]].<ref name="10.1093_nar_gkab1005">{{harvnb|Arshinoff|Cary|Karimi|Foley|2022}}</ref><ref name="10.1093_genetics_iyae002">{{harvnb|Telmer|Karimi|Chess|Agalakov|2024}}</ref> Currently, there are four species of echinoderms fully supported (gene pages, BLAST, JBrowse tracks, genome downloads) including ''[[Strongylocentrotus purpuratus]]'' (purple sea urchin), ''[[Lytechinus variegatus]]'' (green sea urchin), ''[[Patiria miniata]]'' (bat star) and ''[[Acanthaster planci]]'' (crown-of-thorns sea star). Partially supported species (no gene pages) include ''[[Lytechinus pictus]]'' (painted sea urchin), ''[[Asterias rubens]]'' (sugar star) and ''[[Crinoid|Anneissia japonica]]'' (feather star crinoid).<ref name="10.1093_nar_gkab1005" /><ref name="10.1093_genetics_iyae002" />

=== Other uses ===

The calcareous tests or shells of echinoderms are used as a source of [[Lime (material)|lime]] by farmers in areas where [[limestone]] is unavailable and some are used in the manufacture of [[fish meal]].<ref>{{harvnb|Wild Singapore|loc=Sea Stars}}</ref> 4,000 tons of the animals are used annually for these purposes. This trade is often carried out in conjunction with [[Bivalve|shellfish]] farmers, for whom the starfish pose a major threat by eating their cultured stock. Other uses for the starfish they recover include the manufacture of animal feed, composting and the preparation of dried specimens for the arts and craft trade.<ref name="Barkhouse">{{harvnb|Barkhouse|Niles|Davidson|2007}}</ref>