Gracilechinus

Gracilechinus is a genus of sea urchins in the family Echinidae.

Gracilechinus
Gracilechinus acutus at the Biodiversarium of the Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer
Scientific classification
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Gracilechinus

Fell & Pawson, 1966
Species

see text

Description and characteristics

The species in this genus are regular sea urchins, with a rounded test, bearing the anus at the top and the mouth at the bottom. They are extremely similar to species in the genus Echinus, but are differentiated by a primary tubercle on every interambulacral plate.[1]

Most species in this genus are abyssal, and live in the North Atlantic or close cold seas.

Species

Species in this genus include:[2]

  • Gracilechinus acutus (Lamarck, 1816) -- Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic)
  • Gracilechinus affinis (Mortensen, 1903) -- center Atlantic
  • Gracilechinus alexandri (Döderlein & Koren, 1883) -- Northern Atlantic
  • Gracilechinus atlanticus (Mortensen, 1903) -- Atlantic
  • Gracilechinus elegans (Düben & Koren, 1844) -- North-east Atlantic
  • Gracilechinus gracilis (Agassiz, 1869) -- Caribbean
  • Gracilechinus lucidus (Döderlein, 1885) -- North-west Pacific
  • Gracilechinus stenoporus (Mortensen, 1942) -- South Africa

References

  1. "Gracilechinus". Echinoid Directory.
  2. Andreas Kroh (2015), Gracilechinus in Kroh, A. & Mooi, R. (2015), World Echinoidea Database.
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