Eucidaris tribuloides

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Slate pencil urchin
Eucidaris tribuloides (Slate-pencil Urchin).jpg
Slate pencil urchin on a brain coral
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoidea
Order: Cidaroida
Family: Cidaridae
Genus: Eucidaris
Species:
E. tribuloides
Binomial name
Eucidaris tribuloides
(Lamarck, 1816) [1]
Synonyms
  • Cidarites tribuloides, Lamarck, 1816
  • Cidaris tribuloides, Lamarck, 1816

Eucidaris tribuloides, the slate pencil urchin, is a species of cidaroid sea urchins that inhabits littoral regions of the Atlantic Ocean. As a member of the basal echinoid order Cidaroida, its morphological, developmental and molecular genetic characteristics make it a phylogenetically interesting species. [2]

Contents

A specimen at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Eucidaris Baltimore Aquarium.jpg
A specimen at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Taxonomy

Eucidaris tribuloides was first described and classified by Jean Baptiste Lamarck in 1816 as Cidarites tribuloides. [3]

Lamarck's original description of Cidarites tribuloides (Eucidaris tribuloides), ca. 1816. Lamarck pencil notes.jpg
Lamarck's original description of Cidarites tribuloides (Eucidaris tribuloides), ca. 1816.
A specimen dried for preservation. Eucidaris tribuloides bench.jpg
A specimen dried for preservation.

The modern classification stems from the echinoid treatises by Pomel in 1883 [4] and by Döderlein in 1887. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The slate pencil urchin can be found on both sides of the Atlantic, and throughout the Caribbean. [6] On the western side of the Atlantic, the slate pencil urchin has been found as far north as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, [7] and as far south as Rio de Janeiro. [8] In the Gulf of Mexico, populations have been reported at Alacran Reef, Campeche Bank. [9] On the eastern side of the Atlantic, a closely related sub-species, Eucidaris tribuloides var. africana, has been reported at Cape Verde Islands, in the Gulf of Guinea, and at the Azores and Ascension Islands. [10]

E. tribuloides has become an invasive species in some parts of the world including Maltese waters where it has been since 1998. This was the first record in the Mediterranean and is thought to have been brought there in ballast water. [11]

McPherson [6] described E. tribuloides as a "sluggish echinoid" that leads a nocturnal, benthic existence. During daylight hours, the slate pencil urchin uses its large primary spines to anchor itself under or atop rocks or to lodge itself in crevices. Individuals rarely stray far from their locality. [6] At night, they will feed primarily on corals and sponges, among other things. [12]

Biology

When its development is contrasted to the cidaroid sister subclass Euechinoidea, E. tribuloides becomes a very interesting organism from the standpoint of developmental and evolutionary biology. In euechinoid embryonic development, e.g. in the purple sea urchin [ disambiguation needed ], the micromeres comprise a set of four small cells that reside at the base of the vegetal plate. They are a "precociously invaginating lineage", meaning that they move into the blastocoel just prior to gastrulation; these four cells then eventually give rise to the larval skeleton. [13] [14] [15] Similarly, E. tribuloides also possesses a larval skeleton that arises from a special lineage of cells. In contrast, however, the number and size of its micromeres can vary (from one to three), and they do not precociously invaginate; rather, they ingress during gastrulation and bud off from the tip of the growing archenteron. [2] [16] Although there are numerous molecular differences between the "spicule-forming cells" of E. tribuloides and the primary mesencyhme cells of euechinoids, these two cell lineages are thought to be homologous and have been contrasted in developmental evolution research. [17] [18] [19]

Reproduction

Reproduction in E. tribuloides seems to be sensitive to seasonal cycles, solar cycles, and the lunar cycle. In the Florida Keys, E. tribuloides was found to obtain peak gravidity in the late summer and early fall. [6] Populations in Panama, however, were found to be gravid in the spring, summer and fall, with peak gravidity occurring around the full moon. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echinoderm</span> Exclusively marine phylum of animals with generally 5-point radial symmetry

An echinoderm is any deuterostomal animal of the phylum Echinodermata, which includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, as well as the sessile sea lilies or "stone lilies". While bilaterally symmetrical as larvae, as adults echinoderms are recognisable by their usually five-pointed radial symmetry, and 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 group of deuterostomes after the chordates, as well as the largest marine-only phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemichordate</span> Phylum of marine deuterostome animals

Hemichordata is a phylum which consists of triploblastic, enterocoelomate, and bilaterally symmetrical marine deuterostome animals, generally considered the sister group of the echinoderms. They appear in the Lower or Middle Cambrian and include two main classes: Enteropneusta, and Pterobranchia. A third class, Planctosphaeroidea, is known only from the larva of a single species, Planctosphaera pelagica. The class Graptolithina, formerly considered extinct, is now placed within the pterobranchs, represented by a single living genus Rhabdopleura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea urchin</span> Class of marine invertebrates

Sea urchins are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin are distributed on the seabeds of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to 5,000 meters. The spherical, hard shells (tests) of sea urchins are round and covered in spines. Most urchin spines range in length from 3 to 10 cm, with outliers such as the black sea urchin possessing spines as long as 30 cm (12 in). 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. Predators that eat sea urchins include a wide variety of fish, starfish, crabs, marine mammals, and humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastrulation</span> Stage in embryonic development in which germ layers form

Gastrulation is the stage in the early embryonic development of most animals, during which the blastula, or in mammals the blastocyst, is reorganized into a two-layered or three-layered embryo known as the gastrula. Before gastrulation, the embryo is a continuous epithelial sheet of cells; by the end of gastrulation, the embryo has begun differentiation to establish distinct cell lineages, set up the basic axes of the body, and internalized one or more cell types including the prospective gut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blastocoel</span> Fluid-filled or yolk-filled cavity that forms in the blastula

The blastocoel, also spelled blastocoele and blastocele, and also called cleavage cavity, or segmentation cavity is a fluid-filled or yolk-filled cavity that forms in the blastula during very early embryonic development. At this stage in mammals the blastula develops into the blastocyst containing an inner cell mass, and outer trophectoderm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspidodiadematidae</span> Family of sea urchins

The Aspidodiadematidae are a family of sea urchins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epiblast</span> Embryonic inner cell mass tissue that forms the embryo itself, through the three germ layers

In amniote embryonic development, the epiblast is one of two distinct cell layers arising from the inner cell mass in the mammalian blastocyst, or from the blastula in reptiles and birds, the other layer is the hypoblast. It drives the embryo proper through its differentiation into the three primary germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, during gastrulation. The amniotic ectoderm and extraembryonic mesoderm also originate from the epiblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesenchyme</span> Type of animal embryonic connective tissue

Mesenchyme is a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood or bone. The interactions between mesenchyme and epithelium help to form nearly every organ in the developing embryo.

In the field of developmental biology, regional differentiation is the process by which different areas are identified in the development of the early embryo. The process by which the cells become specified differs between organisms.

Susan G. Ernst is professor emerita at Tufts University known for her work on cell development using sea urchins as a model system. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

<i>Arbacia punctulata</i> Species of sea urchin

The Atlantic purple sea urchin is a species of sea urchins from the family Arbaciidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingression (biology)</span>

Ingression is one of the many changes in the location or relative position of cells that takes place during the gastrulation stage of embryonic development. It produces an animal's mesenchymal cells at the onset of gastrulation. During the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), the primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) detach from the epithelium and become internalized mesenchyme cells that can migrate freely.

Skeletogenesis is a key morphogenetic event in the embryonic development of vertebrates and is of equal, although transient, importance in the development of the sea urchin, a marine invertebrate. The larval sea urchin does not resemble its adult form, because the sea urchin is an indirect developer, meaning its larva form must undergo metamorphosis to form the juvenile adult. Here, the focus is on skeletogenesis in the sea urchin species Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, as this species has been most thoroughly studied and characterized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cidaridae</span> Family of sea urchins

Cidaridae is a family of sea urchins in the order Cidaroida.

<i>Eucidaris</i> Genus of sea urchins

Eucidaris is a genus of cidaroid sea urchins known as slate pencil urchins. They are characterised by a moderately thick test, a usually monocyclic apical disc, perforate and non-crenulate tubercles and nearly straight ambulacra with horizontal pore pairs. The primary spines are few and widely spaced, stout with blunt flat tips and beaded ornamentation and the secondary spines are short and apressed. They originated in the Miocene and extant members of the genus are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean, East Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

<i>Eucidaris metularia</i> Species of echinoderm

Eucidaris metularia, the ten-lined urchin, is a species of sea urchins in the family Cidaridae. It is found in shallow parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and is characterised by its sparse covering of banded, flat-tipped spines.

<i>Eucidaris thouarsii</i> Species of sea urchin

Eucidaris thouarsii, the slate pencil urchin, is a species of cidaroid sea urchins that inhabits littoral regions of the East Pacific Ocean.

Sabinella troglodytes is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae. It is a parasitic snail found near the coast of Brazil which lives on the body of the slate pencil urchin Eucidaris tribuloides.

<i>Eucidaris galapagensis</i> Species of sea urchin

Eucidaris galapagensis, commonly referred to as the slate pencil sea urchin, is a species of echinoderms in the family of Cidaroid. This sea urchin lives in coastal areas in the Galapagos, Clipperton, and Cocos. The preferred substrate of these organisms is rocky, benthic environments that provide refuge. In fact, greater abundance of Slate Pencil Sea Urchins is correlated with correct substrate, as well as greater food availability. Their diet is primarily herbivorous, however, they also consume various invertebrates. They graze heavily on live corals and algae in open, shallow reef habitats. Their grazing schedule is not restricted to sunlight availability, and will graze nocturnally. Their diversity in diet is a result of their metabolism, as they are capable of remarkably efficient assimilation of nutrients. Pencil Slate Sea Urchin's crawl omnidirectionally in their environment. Additionally, they are able to sense surrounding light by photoreceptor cells that act as their visual system.

References

  1. ↑ Kroh, Andreas (2012). "Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck, 1816)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2013-03-21.
  2. 1 2 Schroeder, TE (1981). "Development of a 'primitive' sea urchin (Eucidaris tribuloides): irregularities in the hyaline layer, micromeres, and primary mesenchyme". Biological Bulletin. 161 (1): 141–151. doi:10.2307/1541114. JSTOR   1541114.
  3. ↑ Lamarck J (1816). Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres, présentant les caractères généraux et particuliers de ces animaux, Tome 3. p. 56.
  4. ↑ Pomel NA (1883). Classification methodique et genera des echinides vivants et fossiles. p. 103.
  5. ↑ Döderlein LHP (1887). Die japanischen Seeigel, I. Familie Cidaridae und Saleniidae. Stuttgart. p. 42.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 McPherson, BF (1968). "Contributions to the biology of the sea urchin Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 18: 400–443.
  7. ↑ Cerame-Vivas, MJ; Gray IE (1966). "The distributional pattern of benthic invertebrates of the continental shelf off North Carolina". Ecology. 47 (2): 260–270. doi:10.2307/1933773. JSTOR   1933773.
  8. ↑ Bernasconi I (1955). "Equinoideos y asteroideos de la coleccion del Instituto Oceanografico de la Universidad de San Pablo". Boletim do Instituto Oceanográfico. 6 (1–2): 51–77. doi: 10.1590/s0373-55241955000100002 .
  9. ↑ Kornicker LS, Bonet F, Cann R, Hoskin CM (1959). "Alacran Reef, Campeche Bank, Mexico". Publications of the Institute of Marine Science. 6: 1–22.
  10. ↑ Mortensen, T (1928). A monograph of the Echinoidea 1, Cidaroides. Copenhagen: C.A. Reitzel. p. 551.
  11. ↑ Sciberras, M.; Schembri, P.J. (2007). "A critical review of records of alien marine species from the Maltese Islands and surrounding waters (Central Mediterranean)". Mediterranean Marine Science. 8 (1): 41–66. doi: 10.12681/mms.162 .
  12. ↑ Santos CP, Coutinho AB, Hajdu E (2002). "Spongivory by Eucidaris tribuloides from Salvador, Bahia (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 82 (2): 295–297. doi:10.1017/S0025315402005477. S2CID   85223892.
  13. ↑ Boveri, T (1901a). "Die Polarität der Oocyte, Ei und Larve von Strongylocentrotus lividus". Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Anatomie und Ontogenie der Tiere. 14: 630.
  14. ↑ Boveri, T (1901b). "Über die polarität des Seeigel-Eies". Verhandlungen der Physikalisch-medizinische Gesellschaft zu Würzburg. 34: 145.
  15. ↑ Hörstadius, S (1935). "Über die determination im Verlaufe der Eiacse bei Seeigeln". Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli. 14: 251.
  16. ↑ Tennent, DH (1914). "The early influence of the spermatozoan upon the characters of echinoid larvae". Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication. 182: 129–138.
  17. ↑ Wray GA, McClay DR (1988). "The origin of spicule-forming cells in a "primitive" sea urchin (Eucidaris tribuloides) which appears to lack primary mesenchyme cells". Development. 103 (2): 305–315. doi:10.1242/dev.103.2.305. PMID   3066611.
  18. ↑ Erkenbrack EM, Davidson EH (2015). "Evolutionary rewiring of gene regulatory network linkages at divergence of the echinoid subclasses". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 112 (30): E4075–E4084. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112E4075E. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1509845112 . PMC   4522742 . PMID   26170318.
  19. ↑ Erkenbrack EM; et al. (2016). "Ancestral state reconstruction by comparative analysis of a GRN kernel operating in echinoderms". Development Genes and Evolution. 226 (1): 37–45. doi:10.1007/s00427-015-0527-y. PMID   26781941. S2CID   6067524.
  20. ↑ Lessios H (1991). "Presence and absence of monthly reproductive rhythms among eight Caribbean echinoids off the coast of Panama". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 153: 27–47. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(05)80004-8.

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