and near heart-shaped pelvis. invertebrate skeletons invertebrates are defined by a lack of vertebral column, and they do not have bone skeletons. arthropods have exoskeletons and echinoderms have endoskeletons. some soft-bodied organisms, such as jellyfish and earthworms, have hydrostatic skeletons. arthropods the skeletons of arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, and arachnids, are cuticle exoskeletons. they are composed of chitin secreted by the epidermis. the cuticle covers the animal's body and lines several internal organs, including parts of the digestive system. arthropods molt as they grow through a process of ecdysis, developing a new exoskeleton, digesting part of the previous skeleton, and leaving the remainder behind. an arthropod's skeleton serves many functions, working as an integument to provide a barrier and support the body, providing appendages for movement and defense, and assisting in sensory perception. some arthropods, such as crustaceans, absorb biominerals like calcium carbonate from the environment to strengthen the cuticle. echinoderms the skeletons of echinoderms, such as starfish and sea urchins, are endoskeletons that consist of large, well-developed sclerite plates that adjoin or overlap to cover the animal's body. the skeletons of sea cucumbers are an exception, having a reduced size to assist in feeding and movement. echinoderm skeletons are composed of stereom, made up of calcite with a monocrystal structure. they also have a significant magnesium content, forming up to 15% of the skeleton's composition. the stereome structure is porous, and the pores fill with connective stromal tissue as the animal ages. sea urchins have as many as ten variants of stereome structure. among extant animals, such skeletons are unique to echinoderms, though similar skeletons were used by some paleozoic animals. the skeletons of echinoderms are mesodermal, as they are mostly encased by soft tissue. plates of the skeleton may be interlocked or connected through muscles and ligaments. skeletal elements in echinoderms are highly specialized and take many forms, though they usually retain some form of symmetry. the spines of sea urchins are the largest type of echinoderm skeletal structure. molluscs some molluscs, such as conchs, scallops, and snails, have shells that serve as exoskeletons. they are produced by proteins and minerals secreted from the animal's mantle. sponges the skeleton of sponges consists of microscopic calcareous or silicious spicules. the demosponges include 90% of all species of sponges. their "skeletons" are made of spicules consisting of fibers of the protein spongin, the mineral silica, or both. where spicules of silica are present, they have a different shape from those in the otherwise similar glass sponges. cartilage main article: cartilage cartilage is a connective skeletal tissue composed of specialized cells called chondrocytes that in an extracellular matrix. this matrix is typically composed of type ii collagen fibers, proteoglycans, and water. there are many types of cartilage, including elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and lipohyaline cartilage. unlike other connective tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. the chondrocytes are supplied by diffusion, helped by the pumping action generated by compression of the articular cartilage or flexion of the elastic cartilage. thus, compared to other connective tissues, cartilage grows and repairs more slowly.