Chondrocidaris gigantea | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Echinodermata |
Class: | Echinoidea |
Order: | Cidaroida |
Family: | Cidaridae |
Genus: | Chondrocidaris |
Species: | C. gigantea
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Binomial name | |
Chondrocidaris gigantea
A. Agassiz, 1863
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Synonyms [1] | |
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Chondrocidaris gigantea, also known as the rough-spined urchin [2] or blade-tipped tiara-urchin, [1] [3] is a species of sea urchin of the family Cidaridae. Chondrocidaris gigantea was first scientifically described in 1863 by Alexander Agassiz. [1]
Chondrocidaris gigantea grows to between 20–25 cm (8–10 in) in diameter, [2] with each of its spines reaching 15 cm (6 in) in length. [2] Its spines contain thorns, allowing for the growth of algae and sponges. [4] In turn, the algae and sponges that grow provide camouflage for the sea urchin. [4] The amount of spines found on this species can vary depending on region, for example those found in Mauritius only have 5 spines while those in Hawaii may have up to 10. [5] The rough-spined sea urchin is primarily an herbivore, with most of its diet consisting of the algae that form on the coral reefs. [2]
The rough-spined sea urchin can be found in the Central Pacific, including Hawaii, New Guinea and French Polynesia, as well as in Mauritius. [6] [7] It prefers coral reefs in water depths deeper than 150 ft (46 m). [3] using the surrounding coral as cover. [4]
Chondrocidaris gigantea | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Echinodermata |
Class: | Echinoidea |
Order: | Cidaroida |
Family: | Cidaridae |
Genus: | Chondrocidaris |
Species: | C. gigantea
|
Binomial name | |
Chondrocidaris gigantea
A. Agassiz, 1863
| |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Chondrocidaris gigantea, also known as the rough-spined urchin [2] or blade-tipped tiara-urchin, [1] [3] is a species of sea urchin of the family Cidaridae. Chondrocidaris gigantea was first scientifically described in 1863 by Alexander Agassiz. [1]
Chondrocidaris gigantea grows to between 20–25 cm (8–10 in) in diameter, [2] with each of its spines reaching 15 cm (6 in) in length. [2] Its spines contain thorns, allowing for the growth of algae and sponges. [4] In turn, the algae and sponges that grow provide camouflage for the sea urchin. [4] The amount of spines found on this species can vary depending on region, for example those found in Mauritius only have 5 spines while those in Hawaii may have up to 10. [5] The rough-spined sea urchin is primarily an herbivore, with most of its diet consisting of the algae that form on the coral reefs. [2]
The rough-spined sea urchin can be found in the Central Pacific, including Hawaii, New Guinea and French Polynesia, as well as in Mauritius. [6] [7] It prefers coral reefs in water depths deeper than 150 ft (46 m). [3] using the surrounding coral as cover. [4]