| Asthenosoma Temporal range: | |
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| Fire urchin ( Asthenosoma varium ) | |
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| Genus: | Asthenosoma (Grube, 1868) |
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Asthenosoma is a genus of sea urchins in the family Echinothuriidae. [1] Their spines are covered with harmful venom capsules. [2]
The World Echinoidea Database recognises the following species:
An echinoderm is any member of the phylum Echinodermata. The adults are recognisable by their radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea lilies or "stone lilies". Adult echinoderms are found on the sea bed at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. The phylum contains about 7,000 living species, making it the second-largest grouping of deuterostomes, after the chordates. Echinoderms are the largest entirely marine phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.
Sea urchins are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone — from the intertidal seashore down to 5,000 metres. The spherical, hard shells (tests) of sea urchins are round and spiny, ranging in diameter from 3 to 10 cm. Sea urchins move slowly, crawling with tube feet, and also propel themselves with their spines. Although algae are the primary diet, sea urchins also eat slow-moving (sessile) animals. In the food chain, the predators who eat sea urchins are the sea otter and the starfish, the wolf eel, the triggerfish, and human beings.
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes, and as a raw ingredient for delicacies such as caviar.
The subclass Euechinoidea includes almost all living species of sea urchin, and fossil forms going back as far as the Triassic.
Astropyga radiata, the red urchin, fire urchin, false fire urchin or blue-spotted urchin, is a species of sea urchin in the family Diadematidae. It is a large species with long spines and is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It was first described in 1778 by the German naturalist Nathaniel Gottfried Leske.
The Echinothurioida are an order of sea urchins in the class Echinoidea. Echinothurioids are distinguished from other sea urchins by the combination of a flexible test and hollow spines. The membrane around the mouth contains only simple plates, in contrast to the more complex mouth parts of their close relatives, the Diadematoida. They are nearly all deepsea dwellers.
Asthenosoma marisrubri aka Red Sea fire urchin and toxic leather sea urchin , is a relatively common sea urchin with a widespread distribution in the Indo-Pacific, and was till 1998 considered a color variant of Asthenosoma varium. Sea urchins are close relatives of starfish, crinoids, brittle stars and sea cucumbers, all being echinoderms.
The roving coral grouper, also known as the spotted coral grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, although the Red Sea taxon, P. marisrubri, is regarded as a separate species by some authorities.
Zebrida is a small genus of distinctive striped crabs, known as zebra crabs, that live in association with sea urchins in the Indo-Pacific.
Zebrida adamsii is a distinctively striped species of crab that lives in association with a sea urchin in the Indo-Pacific region. It is cryptically coloured with vertical stripes and has special adaptations to its legs to enable it to cling to its host's spines.
Asthenosoma varium is a sea urchin. Growing up to 25 cm (10 in) in diameter, it lives on sand and rubble sea bottoms in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Australia and Southern Japan. Its venom tipped spines, with distinctive globular swellings below the tip, can inflict a painful sting if handled; the pain lasts as long as several hours. This capacity, perhaps coupled with its reddish-brown colour, has given it the common name fire urchin; other commonly used names are Pacific fire urchin, elusive sea urchin, variable fire urchin, and electric sea urchin.
Asterechinus elegans is a species of sea urchin of the family Trigonocidaridae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asterechinus and lives in the sea. Asterechinus elegans was first scientifically described in 1942 by Ole Theodor Jensen Mortensen.
Asthenosoma dilatatum is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asthenosoma and lives in the sea. Asthenosoma dilatatum was first scientifically described in 1934 by Ole Theodor Jensen Mortensen.
Asthenosoma ijimai is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asthenosoma and lives in the sea. Asthenosoma ijimai was first scientifically described in 1897 by Yoshiwara.
Asthenosoma intermedium is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asthenosoma and lives in the sea. Asthenosoma intermedium was first scientifically described in 1938 by Hubert Lyman Clark.
Asthenosoma marisrubis is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asthenosoma and lives in the sea. Asthenosoma marisrubis was first scientifically described in 1998 by Weinberg & de Ridder.
Asthenosoma periculosum is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Asthenosoma and lives in the sea. Asthenosoma periculosum was first scientifically described in 1964 by Endean.
Allopontonia brockii is a small commensal shrimp in the family Palaemonidae.
The Echinothuriidae are a family of sea urchins in the order Echinothurioida. Due to their soft skeletons, most are called "leather urchins", but species in the genus Asthenosoma are also known as "fire urchins" due to their bright colors and painful, venomous sting.
Fire urchin may refer to one of several sea urchins including:
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