Banded Sea Urchin, Double Spined Urchin – Echinothrix calamaris

, Banded Sea Urchin, Double Spined Urchin, Echinothrix calamaris
Depth: 0 - 90 m

Afghanistan, Alaska, Algeria, Andaman and Nicobar, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Arctic, Argentina, Ascension Island, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores Islands, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cocos Islands, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Corsica Island, Crete Island, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Galapagos Islands, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hawaii, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira Islands, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Saint Martin, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sardinia Island, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Sicily Island, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, US Minor Islands, USA, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Amvrakikos Gulf, Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Aral Sea, Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Barents Sea, Bay of Bengal, Bay of Biscay, Beaufort Sea, Bering Sea, Black Sea, Bohai Sea, Cantabrian Sea, Celtic Sea, Chukchi Sea, Coral Sea, Dead Sea, English Channel, German Bight, Great Barrier Reef, Greenland Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Fonseca, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Halmahera Sea, Iberian Sea, Indian Ocean, Java Sea, Korinthiakos Gulf, Labrador Sea, Levantine Sea, Lingayan Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, Moro Gulf, Okhotsk Sea, Pacific Ocean, Pagassitikos Gulf, Salish Sea, Saronikos Gulf, Scotia Sea, Sea of Azov, Sea of Marmara, Siberian Sea, South China Sea, Southern Ocean, Thermaikos Gulf

The Banded Sea Urchin, Double Spined Urchin – Echinothrix calamaris is a striking echinoderm species known for its distinctive appearance and widespread distribution.

Description & Characteristics

The Echinothrix calamaris is a robust sea urchin with a spherical test, or shell, that can reach a maximum size of 10 cm in diameter. Its most prominent feature is the presence of two types of spines: long, slender, and banded spines, which give the urchin its common name, and shorter, stouter, and more numerous spines. The banded spines are typically black and white, while the shorter spines can be various shades of brown, black, or white. These spines are not only for protection but also for locomotion, allowing the urchin to move across the seafloor. The mouth of the urchin, located on the underside, is surrounded by five teeth and a complex chewing apparatus known as Aristotle’s Lantern. The anus is located on the upper surface of the test.

Habitat and Occurrence

The Banded Sea Urchin, Double Spined Urchin – Echinothrix calamaris is a common inhabitant of the subtidal, sublittoral, infralittoral, and deep zones of the oceans. This means it is found from the lower limit of the intertidal zone (intertidal) to the shelf edge at about 200 m water depth. The species is often found in areas with a rocky or coral substrate, and can also be found on sandy or muddy bottoms. It is considered a neritic species, meaning it is found in coastal waters and on the continental shelf. These zones provide the necessary conditions for the species to thrive, from the relatively shallow, sunlit waters of the intertidal to the deeper, darker, and colder environments of the shelf edge.

Taxonomy

The species Echinothrix calamaris belongs to the Class: Echinoidea, Order: Diadematoida, and Family: Diadematidae. This classification reflects its evolutionary relationships with other echinoderms, such as starfish and sea cucumbers.

Feeding

The Echinothrix calamaris is an herbivore that primarily feeds on algae. It uses its Aristotle’s Lantern to scrape algae off rocks and other surfaces. The urchin’s powerful jaws are capable of crushing and grinding tough plant material, allowing it to efficiently extract nutrients from its food.

Associated Species

Image References

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