Psammechinus microtuberculatus

Psammechinus microtuberculatus, also known as the green sea urchin,[2] is a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae.[1]

Psammechinus microtuberculatus
Psammechinus microtuberculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Class:
Echinoidea
Order:
Camarodonta
Family:
Parechinidae
Genus:
Psammechinus
Species:
P. microtuberculatus
Binomial name
Psammechinus microtuberculatus
(Blainville, 1825)[1]
Synonyms
  • Echinus (Psammechinus) microtuberculatus Blainville, 1825
  • Echinus decoratus L. Agassiz, 1841
  • Echinus microtuberculatus Blainville, 1825
  • Echinus parvituberculatus Blainville, 1834
  • Echinus pulchellus L. Agassiz, 1841
  • Psammechinus parvituberculatus (Blainville, 1834)
  • Psammechinus pulchellus (L. Agassiz, 1841)

Description

This is a small, brown, herbivorous[3] sea urchin nearly spherical in shape. It has with short spines greenish or whitish in colour. It grows to a maximum diameter of 5 centimetres.[3]

Distribution

Psammechinus microtuberculatus is found in the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea.[4] It also occurs throughout the entire Mediterranean Sea, though very rare.[3]

Habitat

This species occurs in the benthic zone at depths of between 1 and 685 metres.[3] It prefers to live near sandy areas, and can be found on hard bottoms of mud or rock.[5]

Parasites

Psammechinus microtuberculatus is known to host the following ectoparasites:[4]

  • Asterocheres minutus (Claus), (1889)
  • Asterocheres violaceus (Claus), (1889)

References
  1. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Psammechinus microtuberculatus (Blainville, 1825)". Marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
  2. "Psammechinus microtuberculatus". Natuurlijkmooi.net. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  3. "Psammechinus microtuberculatus". Sealifebase.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  4. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species". Marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  5. "Psammechinus microtuberculatus, Sea urchin". Seadb.net. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
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