Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)

Description

Paracentrotus lividus is a globular sea urchin of up to 7 cm in diameter. Spines are long (3 cm), thick and smooth. Its colour is variable: violet, green or brown. Rock sea urchin is an edible species living on stones, calcareous algae or rocks, often self-covered by shell remains, or algae. According to bedrock nature, wether it is soft or not, rock sea urchin may bore, with its spines, a hole large enough to hide in during day-time. Especially active at night, it mainly feeds on red algae. It may live in groups in rock pools but also down to 30 m deep.

Distribution

Paracentrotus lividus is found in the Atlantic Ocean up to West Ireland, rarer in the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Classification

Source : World Register of Marine Species

Biota (Superdomain)
Animalia (Kingdom)
Echinodermata (Phylum)
Echinozoa (Subphylum)
Echinoidea (Class)
Euechinoidea (Subclass)
Carinacea (Infraclass)
Echinacea (Superorder)
Camarodonta (Order)
Echinidea (Infraorder)
Parechinidae (Family)
Paracentrotus (Genus)
Paracentrotus lividus (Species)

Authors

Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2020.

Photos : © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography

How to cite this page

Bay-Nouailhat A., September 2005, Description of Paracentrotus lividus, [On line] http://european-marine-life.org/30/paracentrotus-lividus.php, consulted on 2020 September 25.