Red diadem sea urchin
| Red diadem sea urchin | ||||||||||||
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Astropyga radiata in Kenya . |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Astropyga radiata | ||||||||||||
| ( Leske , 1778) |
The red diademed sea urchin ( Astropyga radiata ) is a large sea urchin that lives in the shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific . It occurs from the coast of East Africa to Japan, Hawaii and the islands of the South Pacific at depths of 10 to 30 meters. A related, slightly larger species, Astropyga magnifica lives in the Caribbean .
features
The red diadem sea urchin reaches a diameter of 20 centimeters, 45 centimeters with spines. The color is reddish. As with all diadem sea urchins, the spines are poisonous and are not evenly distributed over the housing, but are arranged in bundles. Between the bundles of spines there are rows of small, blue dots. A large anal bladder that is whitish and translucent often shows up on the top.
Way of life
The red diademed sea urchin is diurnal and lives individually or in small groups on floors made of sand, rubble or shell fragments. It feeds primarily on algae and also eats carrion and sessile, crust-like invertebrates. Small cardinalfish of the species Siphamia versicolor , young snapper of the species Lutjanus sebae and small shrimps often hide between the spines .
Red shape and black shape in Kenya .
Clear form in the Philippines .
White, rare form, found in Hawaii .
A boy in Indonesia .
literature
- Harry Erhardt / Horst Moosleitner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 3 , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-103-8
- Svein A. Fossa / Alf Jacob Nilsen: Coral reef aquarium Volume 6 , Schmettkamp Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-928819-18-6
Web links
- WoRMS (2009). Astropyga radiata (Leske, 1778). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213370 on May 7, 2009