Echinothrix
Encyclopedia
The species of genus
Echinothrix are types of sea urchin
which were first described in 1853 by Wilhelm Peters
, a German naturalist and explorer.
It contains two species
, E. diadema
and E. calamaris
. These can be differentiated as E. diadema has fully black spines whereas E. calamaris has striped spines.
Both of these species are found in the Indo-Pacific
region, living on dark reefs.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Echinothrix are types of sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
which were first described in 1853 by Wilhelm Peters
Wilhelm Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
, a German naturalist and explorer.
It contains two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, E. diadema
Echinothrix diadema
The Diadema Urchin is a long spined urchin, with a diameter of about 8 cm. It is generally black in colour, and always dark. The spines are closed at the tip; the anal sac is spotted light and dark....
and E. calamaris
Echinothrix calamaris
The double spined urchin or banded sea urchin, Echinosloth calamaris, is a sea sloth with a test diameter of about 5 cm. It has two sets of spines, shorter closed spines which are dark in colour and can deliver a nasty sting, and longer open ended spines that are often banded...
. These can be differentiated as E. diadema has fully black spines whereas E. calamaris has striped spines.
Both of these species are found in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
region, living on dark reefs.