Boring and style sea urchins
| Boring and style sea urchins | ||||||||||||
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Stylus sea urchin ( Heterocentrotus mammillatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Echinometridae | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1825 |
The drilling and pencil urchins (Echinometridae) are a family of very different sea urchins. They are also sometimes called transverse urchins because they often have an oval shell. However, this is not visible because of the dense spines.
They are distinguished by their common German name on the very differently developed spines:
- Thick, blunt spines (stylus sea urchins)
- Strong, pointed spines (sea urchins)
- Spines formed as a shield (shield sea urchin)
The reef roof urchin ( Echinometra mathei ), with a shell diameter of up to 7.5 cm, is probably the most common sea urchin in the world. Its distribution area extends from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa to the coasts of Japan , Australia and Hawaii . The stylus sea urchin Heterocentrotus mammillatus has 8-12 cm long and 1.3 cm thick spines. It is common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans . The shield sea urchin Colobocentrotus atratus lives in the surf zone of tropical coral reefs . It has a flattened limestone skeleton and short, broadening spines. He can attach himself to the hard surface with the suction cups on the underside.
Species and genera
- Genus Anthocidaris Lütken, 1864
- Anthocidaris crassispina (A. Agassiz, 1863)
- Genus Colobocentrotus
- Shield Sea Urchin ( Colobocentrotus atratus )
- Genus Echinometra Gray, 1825
- Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Reef roof urchin ( Echinometra mathaei )
- Echinometra viridis Agassiz, 1863
- Genus Heterocentrotus Brandt, 1835
- Style sea urchin ( Heterocentrotus mammillatus ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Heterocentrotus trigonarius
Reef roof urchin ( Echinometra mathaei )
Shield Sea Urchin ( Colobocentrotus atratus )
literature
- Bernhard Grzimek (ed.): Grzimeks animal life. Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom in 13 volumes. Volume 3: molluscs and echinoderms. Unchanged reprint of the dtv edition from 1979/80. Bechtermünz-Weltbildverlag, Augsburg, 2000 ISBN 3-8289-1603-1
- Svein A. Fossa / Alf Jacob Nilsen: Coral reef aquarium Volume 6 , Schmettkamp Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-928819-18-6
