Psammechinus microtuberculatus

Psammechinus microtuberculatus, also known as the green sea urchin,[2] in the family Parechinidae.[1] It was formerly known as Echinus microtuberculatus, and thought to be of the genus Echinus.[3]

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[4] 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.[4]

Distribution

Psammechinus microtuberculatus is found in the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea.[5] It also occurs throughout the entire Mediterranean Sea, though very rare.[4]

Habitat

This species occurs in the benthic zone at depths of between 1 and 685 metres.[4] It prefers to live near sandy areas, and can be found on hard bottoms of mud or rock.[6]

Behavior

Psammechinus microtuberculatus is capable of protective camouflage. Under hypoxic conditions, it has been observed to discard its "protecting camouflages when confronted with low DO [dissolved oxygen] concentrations" in order "to increase mobility and/or reduce oxygen demand".[7]

Parasites

Psammechinus microtuberculatus is known to host the following ectoparasites:[5]

  • 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. Laubichler, Manfred D.; Davidson, Eric H. (February 2008). "Boveri's long experiment: Sea urchin merogones and the establishment of the role of nuclear chromosomes in development". Developmental Biology. 314 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.11.024. PMC 2247478. PMID 18163986.
  4. "Psammechinus microtuberculatus". Sealifebase.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  5. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species". Marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  6. "Psammechinus microtuberculatus, Sea urchin". Seadb.net. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  7. Riedel, Bettina; Diaz, Robert; Rosenberg, Rutger; Stachowitsch, Michael (March 2016). "Chapter 10: Stressors in the marine environment: physiological responses and ecological implication". In Solan, Martin; Whiteley, Nia (eds.). The ecological consequences of marine hypoxia: from behavioural to ecosystem responses. Oxford University Press. p. 182. ISBN 9780198718826. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
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