| Lytechinus pictus | |
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| Lytechinus anamesus | |
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| Species: | L. pictus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lytechinus pictus | |
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Lytechinus pictus, commonly known as the painted urchin, [2] is a sea urchin in the family Toxopneustidae. It occurs on shallow reefs in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of California, Central America and South America as far south as Ecuador.
This sea urchin was first described in 1867 by the American zoologist Addison Emery Verrill who gave it the name Psammechinus pictus. It was later transferred to the genus Lytechinus and became Lytechinus pictus. [1] In 1912, another species Lytechinus anamesus was described by American zoologist Hubert Lyman Clark as Lytechinus anamesus. He was the curator of echinoderms at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University at the time. [3] It had long been suspected that L. pictus and L. anamesus were synonymous, and this was confirmed by analysis of mitochondrial DNA in 2004. [4]
The test of this sea urchin is up to 40 mm (1.6 in) in diameter. The general colour is greyish or pale straw brown, sometimes with a pinkish flush. The spines are robust, short and blunt, the basal half of each spine usually being white while the rest of the spine varies in colour. Juvenile urchins sometimes have banded spines. [5]
L. pictus is found in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean at depths down to about 300 m (1,000 ft). [6] Its range extends from central California southwards to Ecuador. In California it tends to inhabit the middle and lower intertidal zone but in the northern part of the Gulf of California it mainly inhabits the subtidal zone. [5]
These sea urchins tend to form dense aggregations at the edge of, or inside, the kelp beds that line this coast. At San Onofre, California in 1978–79, the density of individuals close to the kelp beds was recorded at 80 per square metre while inside the kelp bed it was 40. [7] At Anacapa Island, California, the highest densities (36 per sq.m.) were found in barren areas with coralline algae near the kelp beds. [7]
This sea urchin tends to be more active at night. During the day it may semi-bury itself in sand, and it sometimes disguises itself with fragments of shell and gravel held in place by its tube feet. [5] It feeds on kelp, particularly Macrocystis , Gigartina and Laminaria , but primarily grazes on young stages rather than fully-grown fronds. In the California kelp forests, the painted urchin is preyed on by the bat star (Patiria miniata). [8]
Sea urchins, are typically spiny, globular animals, echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal to 5,000 metres. Their tests are round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm across. Sea urchins move slowly, crawling with their tube feet, and sometimes pushing themselves with their spines. They feed primarily on algae but also eat slow-moving or sessile animals. Their predators include sea otters, starfish, wolf eels, triggerfish, and humans.
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers about 25% of the world's coastlines. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds.
The red sea urchin is a sea urchin found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. It lives in shallow waters from the low-tide line to greater than 100 m (330 ft) deep, and is typically found on rocky shores sheltered from extreme wave action.
Diadema is a genus of sea urchins of the Family Diadematidae.
Evechinus chloroticus, better known as kina, is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm.
Echinus esculentus, the European edible sea urchin or common sea urchin, is a species of marine invertebrate in the Echinidae family. It is found in coastal areas of western Europe down to a depth of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). It is considered "Near threatened" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Loxechinus albus is an echinoderm of the family Parechinidae, native to coastal southern South America, ranging from Ecuador, along the entire coasts of Peru and Chile, to Argentina, as well as the Falkland Islands. It is known as the Chilean sea urchin or red sea urchin, but the latter name is typically used for the North Pacific Mesocentrotus franciscanus and it is not the only species of sea urchin in Chile. L. albus is found on rocky reefs and shores in the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 340 m (1,120 ft).
Centrostephanus coronatus, also known as crowned sea urchin, is a species of sea urchin in the family Diadematidae. It was first described to science by Yale zoology Professor Addison Emery Verrill in 1867.
Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus is a species of sea urchin, the only one in the monotypic genus Hemicentrotus. It was first described by the American engineer and marine zoologist Alexander Agassiz in 1864 as Psammechinus pulcherrimus. Its range extends along the coasts of Korea and China, and in Japan from Kyūshū to Ishikari Bay. An edible species, it is harvested from Kyūshū to Fukui, in the Sea of Japan.
Toxopneustes pileolus, commonly known as the flower urchin, is a widespread and commonly encountered species of sea urchin from the Indo-West Pacific. It is considered highly dangerous, as it is capable of delivering extremely painful and medically significant stings when touched. It inhabits coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rocky or sandy environments at depths of up to 90 m (295 ft). It feeds on algae, bryozoans, and organic detritus.
Abatus cordatus is a species of sea urchin in the family Schizasteridae. It is native to shallow seas surrounding certain island groups in the southern Indian Ocean. The body is protected by a hard test or shell which is covered with spines. The female broods its young in deep pockets on the upper surface, retaining the young in place with specialised spines. Abatus cordatus was first scientifically described in 1876 by the American zoologist Addison Emery Verrill.
Apatopygus occidentalis is a species of sea urchin of the family Apatopygidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Apatopygus and lives in the sea. Apatopygus occidentalis was first scientifically described in 1928 by Hubert Lyman Clark, American zoologist.
Araeosoma paucispinum is a species of sea urchin of the family Echinothuriidae. Their armour is covered with spines. It is placed in the genus Araeosoma and lives in the sea. Araeosoma paucispinum was first scientifically described in 1924 by Hubert Lyman Clark, an American zoologist.
Toxopneustes is a genus of sea urchins from the tropical Indo-Pacific. It contains four species. They are known to possess medically significant venom to humans on their pedicellariae. They are sometimes collectively known as flower urchins, after the most widespread and most commonly encountered species in the genus, the flower urchin. Species included in the genus are the following:
Lytechinus is a genus of sea urchins.
Toxopneustes roseus is a species of sea urchin from the East Pacific. It is sometimes known as the rose flower urchin or the pink flower urchin. Like the related flower urchin, they are venomous.
Pseudocentrotus depressus, commonly known as the pink sea urchin, is a species of sea urchin, one of only two species in the genus Pseudocentrotus. It was first described in 1864 by the American marine zoologist Alexander Agassiz as Toxocidaris depressus, having been collected during the North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition undertaken by Captain Cadwalader Ringgold and later Captain John Rodgers.
Tetrapygus is a genus of sea urchins in the family Arbaciidae. It is a monotypic genus and the only species is Tetrapygus niger which was first described by the Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782. It is found in the southeastern Pacific Ocean on the coasts of South America.
Medialuna ancietae is a species of sea chub native to the Pacific coast of South America where it inhabits the giant kelp forests. It is known locally as acha, mero del sur o chino.
Parechinus angulosus, the Cape urchin, is a sea urchin in the family Parechinidae endemic to southern Africa.